PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Journalists and other Newspaper Guild members have approved a three-year contract with the company that publishes The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com.
Philly.com reports that Thursday’s vote was 203-79. It came 16 days after the union rejected a similar offer from Philadelphia Media Network.
The current contract was to expire in July. The new deal includes better health insurance but eliminates seniority protections in the case of layoffs.
Guild president Howard Gensler says the union was “disappointed with the company’s bargaining position with regard to seniority” and is “taking the company at its word that they don’t want layoffs.”
Publisher C.Z. Egger says, “We have wonderful people here. We respect them.”
The company offered buyouts to union newsroom employees 55 or older with at least 15 years of service.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.