Denver Guild, MediaNews reach tentative 2-year agreement using streamlined process

Following only seven negotiating sessions, MediaNews management at The Denver Post and the Guild's negotiating team have reached agreement on a new two-year labor proposal. Guild members will vote on the the measure in the coming weeks to determine if it will take effect as a contract.

The agreement includes a 1 percent raise beginning March 16 for all Guild-covered employees and another 1 percent pay increase the next year. The pact calls for an increase in night differential to $4 per shift from the current $2.25 a shift.

The agreement includes numerous changes in contract language that reflect the extraordinary transformations in our industry. Most notably, it includes an expectation that employees will gather and process information for multiple media platforms using a variety of tools, and that Post management will provide the necessary training and learning opportunities for employees to do so.

Guild reps cited the parties' use of a process known as "interest-based bargaining" for the remarkably quick resolution of the agreement. The process makes use of a federal mediator to streamline the negotiations, and was aimed at getting a fair agreement for both sides in a difficult economic environment. The teams are finalizing language of the proposed contract and will be making drafts available for all Guild-covered employees within the next two weeks. Following a review period, Guild members will vote to approve or reject it.