Birmingham, Mobile and Huntsville to publish three days a week

Good Lord. That's sickening.

I don't get why they'd fire people and then give them a chance to apply for their jobs again. Why not just keep them in the first place and slash their pay or whatever shitty thing they want to do?

Ugh.

 

I can only speculate that they haven't gotten far enough to determine how many people they want in their hub, so they don't know how many positions are going to be available. I hate to call that optimistic thinking, but 2012. You'd like to think they'd give the layoff victims some sort of civilian equivalent to the veterans preference points for government jobs, but I'd doubt it. Plus if they open it up, they might snag some kids willing to do a lot of low-paid work at the "big" papers in the state.

 

This, unfortunately.

As for firing them and offering to rehire some that's probably a legal maneuver, isn't it?

 

Actually, it might make things somewhat complicated from a legal standpoint, or at least a labor law/tax standpoint. I know this isn't the same thing exactly, but the IRS raises hell if you issue a 1099 and a W-2 to the same person in the same year. They think you're trying to shirk your taxpaying duties.

Also, the chances of the job description being identical from old job to new is pretty unlikely. What was a copy editor or page designer in Huntsville or Mobile may be a Buzz Editor or Verve Designer or Funky Cold Medina Reporter in the new Advance flowchart.

 

folks I know say the plan is to hire seven people to the existing 15 that remain in huntsville's newsroom. I haven't seen a breakdown as to what the positions actually will be.
the only sports person that was offered a job was someone who actually has transitioned into half news/half sports or something like that.

 

So if you get rehired, you lose whatever seniority you previously had?.... not that seniority counts for anything anymore.

 

I apologize if someone else posted this and I missed it, but I thought I heard that these guys are still on staff until Sept. 30.

I know it seems great to keep them on the payroll while they look for jobs and whatnot, but I cannot imagine continuing to work for a paper for more than two months after being canned.

They probably have no choice while they hold out every last bit of hope of being re-hired.

Good lord...

 

Plus, it won't just be pay that's cut.

These will be new jobs. "Buzz" reporters, with different job descriptions and expectations -- more video, pictures, and "blogging".

Also, less benefits.

 

Firing and then allowing them to re-apply is the dumbest thing ever.

Even if they get the job, they will never, ever look at the paper and the higher-ups the same way as they did before they were canned.

 

And they'll be wondering why the higher-ups didn't have to reapply for their jobs ...

 

Also you only get severance if you work through Sept. 30.

 

yes, everybody remains on payroll through Sept. 30. then the changes begin.
So, for half of high school football the H-Times. B-ham and Mobile will remain the same. After that you better have a computer if you want to read those Friday night football gamers.