Who won the Globe showdown?

My first thought, when I heard about the tentative agreement struck by management and the Boston Newspaper Guild last night, was that Guild head Dan Totten must be patting himself on the back right now. After all, Totten's non-endorsement of the contract proposal rejected by the Guild last month was predicated on the assumption that he could get a better offer from the Times Co. if his membership just gave him the chance.

But did he? Yes, the current pay-cut proposal--8 percent when an unpaid furlough is factored in, as opposed to 10 percent in the contract rejected last month--is lower. As a result, though, the benefit cuts are more severe.

Now recall that, earlier this month, some Guild members were actually arguing that the benefit cuts contained in the proposal that was rejected on June 8--which were less severe than those contained in the new contract offer--were so onerous that the Times Co.'s threatened 23-percent pay cut was actually preferable.