Bargaining bulletin, Feb. 25: After meeting with company representatives Tuesday, Guild bargaining teams agreed to enter federal meditation talks to explore the possibility of merging the existing BANG-EB and San Jose Mercury News guild units.

Our expedited bargaining period was supposed to end this week, but we agreed to extend it to discuss the company’s suggestion that we explore merged units. We also established that if we fail to reach an agreement, we will return to positions taken before mediation talks.

Mediation talks, scheduled to begin March 5, will focus on what a merged unit could look like and how it might affect daily operations of the newsroom and, potentially, other departments. We want to hear your responses to this idea, and our next Saturday unit meeting will focus specifically on the proposed merger.
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Weekly update, Nov. 6: For a longtime journalist, sitting out a major election day is the strangest feeling in the world. No wheedling quotes from harried moms outside the polls. No working the crowd at the victory party of some random candidate. No scarfing cold pizza between bouts of frantic typing, revising and re-revising the same 12-incher on an obscure ballot measure.

Outside the newsroom, election nights make no sense. What do ordinary people do after the polls close anyway? Sit and wait for someone to tell them what happened?

Bear with me: I do have a point here.

Many of you have told me that things have been pretty lousy for you in the newsroom lately. Lousy enough to make you wonder why you stay in this heartbreaking business anyway.

Here’s hoping Tuesday night reminded you.

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Join us this Saturday, May 31, for a BBQ with BANG-EB employees, Guild members from SF and SJ, public supporters of the One Big BANG campaign, friends and family. We’ve reserved the picnic area at Live Oak Park in Berkeley from noon to 4 p.m. (map, printable flyer).

Kevin Fagan of the Chronicle Guild and others will provide acoustic sounds. Funnybone the Clown will thrill the kids from 1-2 pm with balloon sculptures, magic tricks, etc.

Please note: no alcohol permitted by local ordinance.