gannett plans to layoff 3,000 by december.

You lay off someone who makes a lot of money (well in the relative context of a Gannett newspaper) and replace them with ... someone who makes very little. Presto, chango, more money for Gannett! This is what happens at places without union protection.

 

Exactly, and look for a lot of these "eliminated" positions to start opening up again by this summer.

By the way, Lafayette (La.) Advertiser is supposed to announce their cuts tomorrow. They delayed their layoffs because the managing editor or someone was out of town the week of Dec. 3.

 

I

I remember the good old days of Detroit newspapers.. delivering the News when the two had a combined circulation of about 1.3 million... I weep/

 

Got to love the proper perspective, huh?

 

That's really fucked up.

Seriously.

So, all those people in that Gannett shop were wondering when the ax would come down and it didn't. So, then they think they are safe. Then they find out it will happen now.

God, I love our business and hate it at the same time.

 

Oh, one tidbit I found out last night.

Gannett publishes The Army Times.

No cuts.

 

That's surprising in a way but the Army Times doesn't have a large staff.

 

And has access to weapons.

 

Maybe Blackwater Inc., is subsidizing that one. And they have lots of no-questions-asked government bid money to throw around. At least until Jan. 20.

 

Still laughing!

 

Here's where I wonder why some who are being left at the curb aren't first asked if they would accept/absorb a pay cut. Granted, it might piss them off on the spot. Or it could transform them into bad-attitude cases. But given the choice between a reduced paycheck and no paycheck, you'd think some would suck it up and stay on. Instead, though, bosses want to hand the job to someone entirely new ... and, I suppose, beholden to them for their futures, rather than blaming them over their vaporized pasts.

Papers should just stop using the term layoffs then and call these what they are: Firings. Dismissals. If you can't get called back, you weren't laid off.

 

Army Times is not part of the community newspaper group.

And as Drip says, its staff (well under 100..don't know the exact figure) is way out of whack given the circ, which last I checked came close to 350k for Army/Air Force/Marine Corps/Navy Times and the other pubs they put out.