Guild salary question

I'm sure this has been asked before, but I can't find it. So, a simple question for the union men in the room:
At a Guild paper, what does "top minimum salary" mean? If a paper has a top minimum of, for instance, $820 after 5 years, I'm guessing that means you'll make at least $820 a week after 5 years.
But is that 5 years in the business or 5 years at that shop?
And what happens if you don't have 5 years yet? Do they pay you shit? Or is it reasonably scaled up to that $820 rate? And what happens after you've hit the minimum? Are there usually raises built in based on years or service? Or merit? Or a mix of both?
And, you know that nifty top minimum salary chart the Guild has on its website? Does anyone know if there's a more recent version floating around (that one's from 2003)?
Yes, I'm talking with a paper, my first Guild shop, and trying to figure out the salary question. Any advice would be great. Thanks much.

 

Depends on the contract, of course.

Generally, "years" are your years in the business, not at that particular paper.

It is scaled downward for less-experienced folks. At many places, there is a big jump once you get to years 4 and/or 5.

I have not worked at a union shop, but I've interviewed at a few and I've examined pay scales at some others just to see what the rates were, etc.

HTH.

 

The company usually gives all the years in the biz when hiring. Now, we get the rare performance increase and the annual guild raise that is usually 2-3 percent. It's a pathway to great wealth.

 

And remember: The salary thresholds are minimums for the corresponding years of experience. You can, and certainly should, try to negotiate a bigger number. Once you're in the door, management has an aversion to massive raises, unless you're leveraging a better offer elsewhere or get a promotion.