Globe, Union Talks Turn To Negotiations

The Boston Globe's largest union, the Boston Newspaper Guild, met with the paper's corporate owners, The New York Times Co., for more than 12 hours Monday. The talks did not wrap up until after midnight.

Talks are expected to resume Tuesday at 3 p.m. on ways to get $10 million in savings The Times says it needs from the Guild in order to keep the Globe afloat.

The two sides talked late into the night but failed to come to an agreement over another way to save the money. The Times already cut wages 23 percent, saying it had to take that drastic measure after the union rejected a proposed deal.

In talks on Monday, the guild had a new person at the table, the head of the national Newspaper Guild. Reporter Scott Allen said bringing in a national expert in negotiations will help the process.

"I think a lot of us that are members of the guild took it as a sign that reinforcements are coming in," Allen said. "(It's) another sort of level-headed advocate in our corner who really wants to bring about a resolution of this conflict."

Originally, The Times said the meeting was just to talk about the wage cuts and not to re-open negotiations, but by mid-afternoon it became clear it had become a negotiation.

As the talks dragged into the night, union members saw it as a hopeful sign that the company appeared to be considering other contract proposals. The guild put forward another formula to cut wages and benefits to get to the needed $10 million in concessions.

The union says it's in the best interest of The Times to negotiate a new contract and end the labor tension if it really wants to sell the paper.

There's been no comment from The New York Times Co.