Huntsville Times buyouts

http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=9705323

Buyouts in Huntsville. Will this stuff ever end?

 

Who owns this paper?

 

Newhouse

 

I'm told by someone who works in the Rocket City that several longtime employees will leave with buyout checks in excess of $140,000, less a tax hit, and pretty decent insurance coverage. Says it's a generous "voluntary" buyout - if you're even close to retirement age, it's hard to turn down.

The guy I know is eligible for 18 months' salary. In an area that's bucked the national trend with a relatively low jobless rate, he's got a couple of gigs possible and is giving serious consideration to getting out with a large chunk of change.

Can't blame him for that.

 

Didn't they send McCarter to the Olympics? Bet they could have saved a few bucks there.

 

Indeed they did.

The H-Times also apparently had 5 or 6 employees in D.C. for the inauguration on the same day the buyouts were being announced back home, my source sez.

 

Sounds as if that paper is printing money with its daily editions to send a writer to Japan and a group that size to D.C.

Someone must be making some fat checks. It probably isn't in the newsroom.

Any idea on the number they want to take the buyouts and how that will impact the writers?

 

Beijing's in Japan now? Was there a trade?

 

China. Japan. Thailand. Beijing is somewhere over there. They're all a long way from covering Nick Saban and the Cow College.

 

If all buyout plans were as humane-sounding as this one ... but that's not the case.

 

I'm told Huntsville hired someone just recently. Nice timing.

 

Read the story. This wouldn't affect new hires at all.

Voluntary buyouts for employees over 60 with 5 years tenure or those of any age with at least 10.

That is, in point of fact, how you clear the books to make new hires.