Two Pekin Daily Times grievances appealed to arbitration were recently taken before a federal mediator (a step that was bargained into our contract with that paper) and – at least verbally – have been settled.
One issue concerned revenue sharing for staff photographs resold by the company and the other issue involved so-called “house accounts” in the advertising department.
Having the mediation step in the grievance and arbitration process allowed the parties to address these issues in a timely manner, at a lesser cost than is typical for an arbitration. The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service provided the use of one of their mediators at their Peoria office. Both Mary Casey and Shannon Duffy – along with Guild Sector Representative Jay Schmitz- attended. Also there for the Guild was Pekin Unit Chair Sharon Harris and Vice Chair Amy Kamp. Daily Times Publisher Gregg Ratliff, along with a Gatehouse attorney out of Chicago – Mike Paull – represented the paper.
Paull has sent a draft document to the Guild, which is currently reviewing it to ensure that it reflects the verbal understanding reached at the November 14 meeting.