Long Beach Press-Telegram contract (2009)

This contract is made this 20th day of January, 2009, between the Press-Telegram, a division of Garden State Newspapers Inc., a corporation, hereinafter known as the Employer, and the Southern California Media Guild, The Newspaper Guild-Communications Workers of America (AFL-CIO, CLC) hereinafter known as the Guild, for itself and on behalf of all employees of the Employer described in Article I.

ARTICLE II - Maintenance of Membership

1. Any employee who elects to become a member of the Guild must, as a condition of continued employment, remain a member in good standing throughout the term of this agreement. The Guild agrees to notify all new members of their “Beck rights.”

2. All employees in the bargaining unit shall have thirty (30) days from the date of the execution and thirty (30) days immediately prior to the expiration date of this Agreement, to withdraw their Guild membership without consequence in any manner.

ARTICLE III - Dues Deduction

1. Upon an employee's voluntary written assignment, the Employer shall deduct biweekly from the biweekly earnings of such employee, and remit to the Guild not later than the 10th day of each month, an amount equal to the Guild’s monthly dues required to maintain membership in good standing. Such amounts shall be deducted from the employee's earnings in accordance with the Guild's schedule of rates furnished to the Employer by the Guild. Such schedule may be amended by the Guild at any time.

ARTICLE IV - Hiring

1. The Employer shall notify the Guild of each vacancy and shall give consideration to the hiring of candidates supplied by the Guild. However, the Employer may fill any position at its discretion from any source.

2. If a current employee who made application for an open position is not selected, the Employer will notify the employee of the action taken and, upon request of the employee, the Employer will meet with the employee for advisory purposes only.

3. The Employer shall hire employees without regard to age, sex, race, creed, color, national origin, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, and/or other circumstances protected by applicable law.

4. The Employer shall use hiring practices which are intended to achieve a diverse work force. The Guild will cooperate with the Publisher in sharing and receiving leads in support of this goal.

5. The Guild agrees not to intentionally disrupt the application (recruitment, interviewing and selection) process of any individual job candidate.

6. The Employer agrees not to have or enter into an agreement with a non-affiliated employer binding such other employer not to offer or give employment to an employee of the Employer. With regard to affiliated employers, no employee with more than six (6) months service in his/her current position with the Press-Telegram shall be prohibited from applying for and being considered for a position with another affiliated employer or the Press-Telegram.

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