Newspaper To Start Charging Readers

SEATTLE (AP) â€” Seattle's two daily newspapers said they would resume charging readers as negotiators prepared Friday to resume talks to end a more than two-week-old strike. <br><br>The Seattle Times

Friday, December 8th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

SEATTLE (AP) â€” Seattle's two daily newspapers said they would resume charging readers as negotiators prepared Friday to resume talks to end a more than two-week-old strike.

The Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer have been free since the 1,000-member Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild went on strike Nov. 21. They will resume charging Dec. 17.

Both sides will return to the table Friday under orders from federal mediator Jeff Clark.

``We're just happy to be back at the table,'' said Guild spokesman Art Thiel, a striking P-I sports columnist. ``This has gone on long enough that we want the damage to the community and the papers to end.''

P-I Editor and Publisher Roger Oglesby was guardedly hopeful.

``We are still eager to get people back to work,'' he said.

H. Mason Sizemore, president of The Seattle Times Co., which handles advertising, circulation and production for both papers under a joint operating agreement, said the papers have regained enough of their pre-strike bulk to justify a resumption of charges. Subscription and Sunday rates will be the same as before, but weekday and Saturday editions will sell at half price, for 25 cents.

The strike by editorial, advertising and circulation staff at the papers has centered on pay. The newspapers' last offer included an hourly raise of $3.30 over six years for top-scale reporters. The union sought a three-year contract with $3.25 in raises and other improvements.

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On the Net:

Times: http://www.seattletimes.com

Post-Intelligencer: http://www.seattlep-i.com

Seattle Union Record: http://www.unionrecord.com

Guild: http://www.nwguild.org