After a lot of tension, the Newspaper Guild, which represents the AFL-CIO’s professional staff, has made a deal with the Federation for an incentive package to “encourage” people to leave the AFL-CIO before the announced cuts become official. I guess the more people who leave before the layoffs go into effect in the Fall, the easier it is to quiet the waters roiling inside the building, which continues to be a very unhappy place to work. The full agreement will be distributed today. I’ve received the outlines of the deal.

Permanent employees will get 16 weeks of severance pay. They will also get either a chunk of cash that equals what it would cost them to carry health insurance under COBRA–or they can elect to stay on the Federation’s healthcare plan for 12 months. The Federation will also kick in $4,000 for educational expenses incurred through the end of 2006.

In order to get this deal, a worker has to submit an official resignation letter by July 8th and be officially out one week later…no lingering on. The package is also good for the people who didn’t have their position eliminated–but they will be warned that if they take the package, they are not eligible for unemployment; the people who were axed can take the deal and get unemployment insurance.

The so-called project, fund and temporary workers (not full-time, permanent workers) also get something: eight weeks of severance pay, and the same health care and educational expenses deal. They also have to pull the trigger by July 8th but I’m also told that the Federation can require that they stay until September 1 if their project is urgent and cannot be put off or given to someone else. So, no matter how much they might want to jump ship, these folks are stuck if the Federation needs them.

I’ll try to post the full language of the deal once it circulates today and also get comments from people. AFL-CIO workers: feel free to post comments or send them directly to me.