Newspaper & Mailroom
Machinists Union Ratifies Boston Globe Contract
Tuesday 01. December 2009 - The International Association of Machinists, Lodge 264, voted to ratify a new three-year labor contract with The Boston Globe on Monday, November 23, by a vote of 10 in favor to 3 against. The new labor agreement covers the years 2008, 2009 and 2010. The vote reverses an earlier vote turn down last June of a similar agreement. The new contract is expected to provide savings of $350,000 per year.
To achieve the above annual savings, the new agreement provides a 9% pay cut, loss of a weeks vacation, four unpaid vacation furlough days, elimination of five paid holidays, a new lower wage rate for new hires, straight time pay for Sunday shifts and elimination of double time pay.
“The new contract completes the last of the ten major labor agreements at the Globe that are expected to result in $20 million in annual savings that are a critical component of the Globes restructuring plan. We recognize and appreciate the sacrifices our unions all made this past year to assist the Globe in its restructuring,” stated Gregory Thornton, Globe senior vice president.
Michael Vartabedian, the Machinists Business Agent and the unions principal negotiator, said, “The concessions our members agreed to tonight were extremely difficult to take, but they understand what sacrifices needed to be made to make the future of The Boston Globe brighter.”