BREAKING NEWS: Village Voice Employees Settle Contract Dispute, Avert Strike
Union employees at The Village Voice [averted a strike] early this morning, forging an agreement with Village Voice Media for a new three-year contract that met their demands regarding health care and salary increases.
"We got a deal. 3 o'clock this morning," said Tom Robbins, a Voice columnist and shop steward for United Auto Workers local 2110, sounding a little groggy. "We won a good victory for unions." Robbins said that under the new contract, union members will not be expected to pay any portion of the premium of their health care, and added that the new contract calls for a raise. "We had a celebratory drink of a little scotch, Robbins reported, and then went home."
The contract was unanimously ratified by the membership this morning at Cooper Union, across the street from the newspapers offices.