Hoping for a deal, union sets date for contract vote

The largest union at The Boston Globe has set a date for a new contract ratification vote, even though it said it has not yet reached a tentative agreement with the newspaper’s owner, The New York Times Co.

In a letter to union members, the Boston Newspaper Guild’s president, Daniel Totten, said the vote date of July 20 was set to ‘‘mitigate the impact’’ of a 23 percent pay cut imposed this week by the Times Co. on Guild workers.

The date was set ‘‘at some risk,’’ Totten wrote, as there is no agreement on which to vote. ‘‘Although talks are progressing toward a tentative agreement, we are not yet there,’’ he wrote.

Under Guild bylaws, there must be at least a 30-day wait for a vote on a contract agreement. That means the nearly 700 members would have to absorb the 23 percent pay cut for at least a month.

When asked for a comment about the union’s setting a ratification date, Globe spokesman Robert Powers said: ‘‘The talks with the Guild have been constructive, and they are continuing.’’ He declined to comment on whether the company is near an agreement with the union.

Meanwhile, a meeting between the union and the National Labor Relations Board, originally requested to challenge the 23 percent pay cut, has been put on hold as talks continue. The Times Co. imposed the salary cut to reach its goal of $10 million in savings after Guild members narrowly rejected a new contract that called for a pay reduction of about 10 percent, along with cuts in benefits.

The next face-to-face meeting between management and union negotiators is scheduled for Monday.
(Globe staff)