All Proposals apply to both news and advertising contracts unless specifically noted otherwise

Company proposals

All Proposals apply to both news and advertising contracts unless specifically noted otherwise.

The Providence Journal Company (“The Company”) proposes that the collective bargaining agreement in effect between the Providence Newspaper Guild (“The Guild”) which by terms expired on December 31, 1999, be renewed and extended in its entirety with the following changes:

AGREEMENT

Delete second paragraph.

ARTICLE 1, COVERAGE:

Add exclusions for assistant sports editor and assistant features editor.

Advertising -- Delete “systems department.”

ARTICLE 2, GUILD JURISDICTION:

Revise Sections 5(a) and (b) to read as follows:

5.(a) All employees and irregular extra covered by this Agreement who are members of the Guild as of March 7, 1995 or who thereafter become members shall, as a condition of employment, maintain their membership for the duration of this Agreement.

(b) All new employees hired after March 7, 1995 and irregular extras shall, as a condition of employment, as soon after their date of hire as legally permissible (30 days), become and remain members of the Guild for the duration of this Agreement.

ARTICLE 5, GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE:

Add to paragraph 2:

Either party may request that a certified court reporter record the proceedings and that such transcript shall be the official record. The Party requesting the stenographer shall pay the stenographer’s fees, the cost of the transcript to the Arbitrator and its copy; the other Party shall pay the cost of its copy if requested.

Delete paragraph 4.

ARTICLE 10, HOLIDAYS:

Delete one of the two optional holidays.

ARTICLE 11, VACATIONS:

Revise paragraphs 1(b) and (c) to replace “three (3) years” with five (5) years.” (Employees who have earned three weeks vacation by 6/30/99 shall not lose vacation as a result of this change.)

ARTICLE 13, HEALTH AND SAFETY:

Delete paragraphs 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

ARTICLE 14, INSURANCE:

Revise to read in its entirety as follows:

Medical and Dental:

1. During the life of this agreement the Company will pay eighty-five (85%) of the premium or premium equivalent cost of medical and dental coverage.

2. Effective January 1, 2000, or as soon as practicable there after, the Company shall offer eligible employees participation in United healthcare PPO, United Healthcare HMO, CIGNA HealthCare POS, Merck-Medco (prescription drug) and MetLife DPPO (dental) plans.

3. The Company agrees to provide Guild employees in the Washington Bureau with health insurance coverage substantially equivalent to the above, based on the same contribution formula as above.

Vision:

1. The Company shall offer eligible employees participation in Vision Service Plan for eye exams, frames and lenses. Employees shall be responsible for 100% of the premium costs.

Life Insurance: -- UNCHANGED

Travel Accident Insurance: -- UNCHANGED

Long Term Disability: -- UNCHANGED

Flexible Spending Accounts:

1. Dependent Care Spending: Eligible employees will be allowed to participate in a dependent care spending account by contributing pre-tax dollars to cover qualified expenses. The Company will provide a 100% match, on the employee contribution, up to a maximum of twenty dollars ($20 per week).

2. Health care Spending: Eligible employees will be allowed to participate in a health care spending account by contributing pre-tax dollars to cover qualified expenses.

Adoption Assistance:

1. The Company shall reimburse up to $3,000 of eligible expenses associated with adoption. The life time maximum benefit available per family is $9,000.

2. Eligible employees with at least one year of service at the time the child is placed in the home are covered by this policy.

Employee Assistance:

1. The Company shall provide, at no cost to eligible employees, an employee assistance plan that offers behavioral health care assistance to employees and their dependents. The plan will provide phone support 24 hours a day and will cover up to six visits with a local counselor.

Eligible employees will be allowed to participate in the above benefits on the first of the month following 60 days of employment, except as otherwise noted. The Company may add different plan(s) or replace these plans with substantially equivalent plans. Emnployer contributions to medical and dental insurance, the vision service plan, and the flecible spending account shall be pre-tax so long as allowed by the IRS.

ARTICLE 17, PART-TIME AND IRREGULAR EXTRA EMPLOYEES

Delete paragraph 3(c) and delete second sentence of (d).

Revise paragraph 5(c) to replace “three (3) years” with “five (5) years.” (Employees who have earned three weeks vacation by 6/30/99 shall not lose vacation as a result of this change.)

ARTICLE 18, WAGES:

Increase wages by a total of six (6) percent (2% effective 1/1/2000; 2% effective 1/1/2001; 2 % effective 1/1/2002) over the term of the contract.

Housekeeping changes to update grids to be discussed.

E. 10 -- Delete

ARTICLE 19, EXPENSES AND EQUIPMENT:

Delete (e), (g),(h) and (i).

M.O.A. -- No. 6

Revise paragraph 4 rates to be increased by five (5) percent over the term of the contract.