SJ Mercury workers reach tentative contract deal, includes 9% in pay cuts - San Francisco Business Times:

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An additional 2 percent cut in pay would take effecin January. The Media Workers Guild represents 257 Mercury News including about 130 in editorial jobs and 127in circulation, finance and supportr positions. A ratification meeting to discussw and vote on the proposed contracr is scheduled forMondayh afternoon. If approved, it would last 18 expiring Nov. 30, 2010. Other concessions include reducedf vacation accruals and the relocation ofthe Merc’s copy desk to Walnuft Creek, where MediaNews’ is based. It owns the Mercury News and 11 otheer daily papers inthe region, which includs virtually all of the daily papersw in the Bay Area except the and .
“Thixs contract settlement represents our best efforts at protecting jobs and quality at the Mercury the Guild’s San Francisco-basedr Local 39521 said in a statement. “It is not something that we recommenf lightly.” Mac Tully, the Mercury publisher and president, could not immediatelh be reached for comment about the tentative The deal would also permitt management to require up to five furlough days in move remaining circulation and finance jobs to the Bay AreaNews Group’sw shared services center in San Ramon, consolidate advertising functions in the East Bay and San hire commission-only sales representatives to develop new business, and win some additional subcontracting rights, according to the Guild.
The contractg negotiations have taken placee during grim times fordaily newspapers. Several majof papers have folded inrecenty months, including the and the print version of the , and many majo r metropolitan papers, including the San Franciscko Chronicle, , , and face daunting financial challenges.