More CNHI furloughs

We got word today.

 

We got the word today, too

 

Our publisher said during our meeting "This can't surprise you" and "You all know how this works."
I know we do and no it doesn't surprise me, but my fear is that we are becoming acclimated to this. With each furlough and each day longer into the pay freeze, we lose a little bit more of the desire to let the company know this wrong. Now, every time a corporate bean counter wants to squeeze a penny out of a couch cushion somewhere, they are going to look to lowly editorial employees, who have already shown they can still put out a paper with reduced staff sizes and reduced paychecks.
And really, a word of advice to anyone that must make one of these announcements in the future -- the it's-tough-all-over and we're-not-the-only-ones-hurting old saws do little to comfort us.

 

Still nothing at my shop.

 

They told everybody at my place Monday and said we'll qualify for unemployment this time around. I'm guessing we would have before, too, just nobody looked into it.

 

YES. A word to anyone who is furloughed -- you ARE eligible for unemployment. I was furloughed twice and received benefits both times because it is esentially like they are laying you off for a week (or however long your furlough is). Even if the furlough days are spread out and not taken all at once, you are still eligible.

So to anyone who is furloughed, definitely look into it because you will receive money for those days you didn't work. In my case, I was getting about 80% of my daily paycheck.

 

With all the pay freezes and furloughs and crap going on at practically every paper, has anyone heard of any newsrooms going on strike or just plain walking out? If everyone in the newsroom walked out at the same time with no warning, there would be many consecutive days that the paper would not be put out. The paper would then lose even more money from lost advertising and pissed off customers so in the end, it may not help the employees at all.

But has this happened yet?

 

Supposedly, the advertising department at the Westchester Journal News walked out this summer when Gannett announced that every employee would have to reapply for their jobs.

 

I am by no means an expert on this, but I believe this varies by state. In Minnesota, for instance, I believe you have to be off for two consecutive weeks before you are eligible for unemployment benefits. So if you take one day here and one day there, you won't be eligible under this furlough system. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but this is how I understand it.

All I know is this latest news will mean 15 unpaid days in a single calendar year, which by my math means nearly a six percent pay cut for the year.

Also, we got the official furlough news the day they announced health care premiums were going up eight percent with annual deductibles and out-of-pocket max both increasing as well. What a great day for morale!

 

True, it may be a state-by-state scenario. Definitely worth looking into though.

What was BS about when I was furloughed was that the newspaper didn't tell us we were eligible for benefits (and don't tell me they didn't know; they most certainly did) so most of us just assumed we weren't eligible or didn't even think about it in the first place. Luckily, one guy took the steps to find out and informed everyone.

 

I'm attempting to resist the temptation to type the corporate memo that was sent to all CNHI papers about this, which was then topped with a lede graph to fit each paper.

However, with the pay freezes, the deductible being raised from $500 to $750 and the cost of basic insurance being increased, my resistance is quickly waning.

 

I know two newsroom employees turned their notices in the day after this was announced at one CNHI shop. A few employees in other departments also quit. To my surprise, they plan to replace these employees ASAP.