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Maui News
unions OK 4-year
contract extension

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Star-Bulletin staff

Unionized employees at the Maui News have ratified a four-year contract extension that includes annual bonuses and two wage increases, but lower pay for less-experienced new hires.

The vote yesterday by three unions representing about 100 employees of the daily newspaper followed negotiations with the paper's new owners, Ogden Newspapers Inc. of West Virginia.

The unions agreed to adding new steps at the bottom of the wage scale, providing lower pay for less-experienced new hires. For example, a new hire with no experience now receives $733 a week in the top-pay categories of reporter and advertising sales representative. That will become the rate paid to a five-year veteran. Beginners will receive $500.

"It's something both sides worked hard at for a long time . . . so that we could grow the paper in the future. This contract allows us to do that," said Pat Saka, the newspaper's publisher and general manager.

The contract extension came midway through a four-year pact with the previous owner, the Cameron family-owned Maui Publishing Co. Other contract changes include:

It is extended to April 5, 2006. It formerly ended in April 2002.

A 2.25 percent lump sum bonus will be paid now and 2 percent bonuses in April 2002, 2004 and 2005.

Wage increases of 1.75 percent will be added to the pay scale in April 2001 and 2003. Employees will receive 0.5 percent bonuses those years.

Employees may choose to have bonuses applied to the pension plan or 401K plan.

The employer will continue to pay 100 percent of the medical plan premium.

The contracts are with the Hawaii Newspaper Guild, Honolulu Typographical Union Local 37 and Graphic Communications International Union Local 501M.

Guild administrative officer Wayne Cahill said the unions agreed to the lower pay for beginners and to annual bonuses in lieu of wage hikes in exchange for the security of the extended contract.

Cahill said top pay will reach $1,011.27 in April 2003 and noted that the Maui News, with a circulation of about 19,000, now ranks among the top 10 organized U.S. newspapers in wage scale for top categories.

The Maui News