The New York Times has reportedly hammered out an agreement with the Newspaper Guild, whose members have worked without a contract for eighteen months and had been in mediation with management. But those involved in the negotiations are still being pretty cagey about what the new contract involves. Media Decoder reports on a memo to staff from Jill Abramson, who “said the paper and the union had agreed ‘in concept’ on a new five-year contract,” but had asked that details of the contract stay private until it’s put in writing. Guild president Bill O’Meara confirmed the agreement to Poynter’s Andrew Beaujon, but pointed out it’s still subject to ratification from Guild members. The agreement “preserves a Defined Benefit Pension, protects the jointly trusteed medical plan, and includes increases in compensation,” O’Meara wrote.
