Know your contract rights
In 2019, we proudly won a contract that helped improve the lives of hundreds of L.A. Times journalists. It’s up to every member to work together to enforce these rights and protections. Any questions can be directed to your steward, the Unit Council or bargaining committee members.
Pay
Pay minimums: Each job classification has minimum wage scales based on years of experience in the media industry. These wage scales are the floor, not the ceiling, and the contract does not prevent any bargaining unit member from negotiating individual pay increases higher than said minimums.
Overtime work: Salaried employees are entitled to “premium” (overtime) pay at 1.5 x their ordinary rate for work over 40 hours in a week or over 80 hours in any pay period. Premium pay should be approved in advance by a supervisor. The Guild’s overtime FAQ has more information.
Work in a higher-paying classification: When a member is assigned to work in a higher-paying classification, such as a reporter temporarily filling in for an assistant editor, they are entitled to an additional $5 an hour, on top of their regular rate. Times Community News employees who are assigned L.A. Times shifts are entitled to an additional $10 an hour.
On-the-job protections
Just cause: Guild members can only be disciplined or discharged for just cause, a legal standard that includes due process, reasonableness and fairness. The burden of proof for any discipline falls on the company.
Related: The law gives every union member the right to have representation, such as a steward, in investigatory meetings. Learn more about your Weingarten rights.
Equipment: The company must provide us with the equipment we need to do our jobs, including cellphones for most employees, computers, photography equipment and safety equipment.
New skills or duties: If your job requires you to learn a new skill or perform a new duty, the company must provide you with reasonable and necessary training.
Hazardous assignments: If you reasonably believe an assignment would put you at risk of injury, you can decline it without facing discipline or loss of pay.
Employee integrity: If you have objections to the story you have been assigned and you have talked it over with your editor but still have objections, you may request that the story run without your byline.
Outside activity: You are permitted to make “reasonable personal use” of the Times’ internal communications system, including phone, email and Slack. You can also use the Times’ communication systems for “communications in furtherance of protected concerted activity,” which means we can use the company’s phones, emails and Slack to discuss union business.
Monitoring online activity: The Times shall not conduct any real-time monitoring of employees by use of keystroke logging, remote desktop mirroring, tape recording, other recording, or other similar means. The exceptions are anything involving threats to employee safety and security or in connection with a law enforcement investigation. Be aware: They can tell when you sign on and off the system. The Times cannot dismiss or discriminate against an employee because of membership or activity in the Guild.