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San Antonio/Hearst buyouts offered

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Blitz, Nov 14, 2008.

  1. Blitz

    Blitz Active Member

    A small portion of an e-mailed letter sent to SAntonio Express-News employees yesterday:
    Seems they are offering 50 buyouts, at the moment


    ........To combat these market forces we are taking steps to become more efficient and improve productivity. We are undertaking a number of consolidation efforts in our operation. We are engaged in several Hearst-wide consolidation projects in Finance, Advertising, Technology, News, and Circulation, all of which will allow us to become a more efficient company. In the 2nd quarter of 2009 we will reduce our web-width to 44 inches which will save us about $2.4 million in newsprint cost. As employees resigned from their jobs this year we have done our best to avoid replacing them. Still, with all these measures, we need to further reduce payroll expense. To that end, we are offering employee buyouts and early retirement incentives to up to 50 employees companywide. If we do not achieve the reduction through voluntary efforts, we will have to achieve the necessary reductions through job eliminations or layoffs.

    The incentive offer for either the early retirement offer or the voluntary termination option is two weeks pay per year of service to a maximum of one year’s salary and continuation of medical benefits for up to six months.
     
  2. Drip

    Drip Active Member

    More bad news in San Antonio.
    http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003944761
     
  3. GlenQuagmire

    GlenQuagmire Active Member

    I've got a few old friends in San Antonio. Here's hoping that they can avoid getting cut.
     
  4. GuessWho

    GuessWho Active Member

    Holy crap, 75 in the newsroom? What percentage of the staff is that?

    Good luck to all.
     
  5. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    Wikipedia lists their editorial staff at 250. So who knows what the real number is.
     
  6. Jeremy Goodwin

    Jeremy Goodwin Active Member

    Are you saying Wiki could be false, Rick?
     
  7. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    All numbers gleaned from wikipedia are recipriversexclusons.
     
  8. NDub

    NDub Guest

    Got a friend who designs there. Just sent an e-mail to see what's up.
     
  9. Editude

    Editude Active Member

    Lots of editorial folks let go. One interesting name is Ken Rodriguez, the lead metro columnist who used to be in sports and won a Pulitzer at the Miami Herald.
     
  10. J-School Blue

    J-School Blue Member

    I love how these lay-off memos always bury the lede as far down as possible. As an employee I, for one, care much more about the web-width than whether or not I'll have a job next month.
     
  11. finishthehat

    finishthehat Active Member

    Not a good sign for the Houston Chronicle, either, if you read the end of the memo.
     
  12. NDub

    NDub Guest

    My designer friend was one of the 75 laid off today. Been there like 3 years. I'm guessing because this person was low on the totem pole.
     
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