gannett plans to layoff 3,000 by december.

And she also knows that in the next round of cuts, she's wearing a target the size of Wembley Stadium.

Good for her for surviving this one... and I hope she's able to jump on her own before the next one happens.

 

Anyone know if a certain Wausau editor was shown the door?

 

So the Gannett blog looks like it has 17 papers left to make cuts. And 1,400 cuts so far.

Way less than the 3,000 which were expected.

 

Well, the 3,000 was based on a 10-percent cut of personnel. Turns out, it's a 10-percent cut in payroll.

 

Again, dumb. At companies that aren't union shops, how about asking your best people, would you be willing to work for less? If they say no, well then, you're fair game. But that would take some thought. Easier just to chop.

 

I will not tolerate in any shape or form the celebration of someone being laid off from their job. If you don't like someone, that's fine. But to come on here and celebrate the fact that someone's life has just been thrown off course by being laid off is simply wrong and I won't stand for it. If you can't deal with this, I suggest you no longer visit this site.

 

Count me in the "not at all comfortable with hoops' comments" camp. Time and place, etc.

On another note, I know there were nervous times in Greenville, S.C.; I've heard no names, though.

 

Yeah but I've heard people say they would rather have the guy at the next desk lose his job than to take a small pay cut themselves.

I guess if it is posed as, would you prefer to take a small pay cut or lose your job, that might persuade them.

I suppose I could see a strategy in which all those at union shops who received raises beyond the scale are given the option of either losing their merit pay or losing their jobs. I mean, what's to stop the beancounters these days?

 

No idea, but Wausau's web site refers to 22 layoffs at the central Wisconsin papers as follows: "11 positions in Wausau, two in Stevens Point, one in Marshfield and one in Wisconsin Rapids. Four were eliminated as a result of retirement, and three were open positions that will remain unfilled."

No names yet.

http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20081203/WDH0101/81203148/1981

 

Kudos on the Wembley reference.

And, yes, I agree. Hopefully she will. She's far too nice a person to spend 40 hours a week on tenterhooks.

 

A couple of factors: Detroit and USA Today are separate from the Community Newspapers group making cuts in this round and will likely do their own purges early next year. Detroit alone could be in the neighborhood of 200 positions lost if they have to adhere to the 10 percent guideline. They appear to have done at least a small management realignment this week; the community papers did the same thing 2-3 months ago as a precursor to this week's cuts. I think the original 3,000 speculation may have assumed Detroit would be participating in the cuts this week.

Also, a lot os people posting to the Gannett blog are newsroom employees with little or no info regarding cuts beyond their own department. So some of the papers for whom 8 or 10 cuts are currently listed will grow to 25 to 30 by the time everything shakes out.

Not all of the local publishers have sent out their "the cuts are done and now it's time to move forward" memos that have been detailing actual numbers of cuts. BTW, it's good to see that the publishers actually are sending these notes out with more consistency this time. I think Gannett corporate may have been a little embarrassed last time around that the blog was reporting better info than the company was.

 

A week of pay for every year... is that what loyalty is worth, you soulless corporate bastards?