Post-Gazette union members, management negotiate on health care

The following excerpt was sent out:

Striking workers and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette management returned to the bargaining table [last week]. Union members said the paper’s management rejected their health care-related concessions, leading to yet another stalemate.
The talks at the Omni William Penn Hotel marked the first contract negotiating session held between the two parties since Nov. 18. Those discussions ended in gridlock after the company rejected all of the newspaper guild’s proposals, according to union members.
Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh President Zack Tanner said the union would accept the company’s existing health insurance plan and some of the company’s cost-sharing proposals—but with limits on how much the company can raise future costs. Tanner said the company rejected that request on the basis that they were economic concessions that they were not willing to make, and would not offer a counterproposal.
“It’s another frustrating day of the Guild making concessions, wanting to get back to the work and the company not acknowledging that—not acknowledging the strike and not acknowledging that the health care premiums and health care costs are really out of control,” Tanner said Tuesday evening. “There’s no movement from the company at all [from] their position on health care.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for the company said that although some progress was made to bring the union’s proposal into compliance with IRS regulations, no agreement was reached. The spokesperson did not elaborate on the regulatory requirements alluded to in the statement.