Big, big changes at USA TODAY

[Magic In The Night]

Obviously, no union contract there so no severance pay?

 

[Bruhman]

I believe severance pay is standard for Gannett in these situations, even without a union. But I think its less than most other companies offer.

 

[LongTimeListener]

When they did this in Arizona, they used it only as "supplemental" to state unemployment -- meaning that if a person was making $500 a week from Gannett and then was eligible for $300 a week in state unemployment, Gannett would only pay the $200 difference. (A rare stance.) And if a person was ruled ineligible for unemployment for whatever reason, Gannett was off the hook entirely because there was nothing to supplement.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/27/business/media/27gannett.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Gannett operates hundreds of newspapers in many states, but the benefit restrictions are a particular concern in Arizona, whose unemployment benefits are among the nation’s lowest, capped at $265 a week. The Arizona Department of Economic Security says that unemployment beneficiaries become ineligible if they bring in more in a week than their maximum weekly unemployment check. And for former Gannett workers, any interruption in unemployment eligibility means no further payments from the company.

“If you take part-time work or freelance work, even for a week, you get nothing from Gannett,” said Dave Lumia, 52, who was an assistant sports editor at The Republic. “It certainly doesn’t encourage me to go out and look for work.”

They're pretty ****ing evil even by newspaper standards.

 

[Mark2010]

“This process was about redefining and reimagining Sports and the roles within it to create a center of excellence and build a great sports franchise,” said USA Today Sports Media Group President Tom Beusse. “With this new structure, we are now well-positioned to operate in a 24-7 digital environment. This is a major step forward.”

Another spectacular quote from an executive-slash-spin-doctor.

http://shermanreport.com/layoffs-in-usa-today-sports-mccarthy-weir-pedulla-out/

That is so much **** I can smell it from here (2,000 miles away). It's about "we ain't making as much money as we want to, so let's cut some expensive employees and see what that will do for the bottom line". THAT'S what it is really about it. Dare you to prove me wrong.

Are you legally required to be at least 2,000 miles away from Washington D.C. at all times?

Ted Kaczynski's cabin was 2,164 miles from Washington D.C.

Coincidence?

Haha. I DID once work in Montana, but no longer. I'm in hiding. And, obviously, renting space in a few people's heads.

 

[CNY]

“This process was about redefining and reimagining Sports and the roles within it to create a center of excellence and build a great sports franchise,” said USA Today Sports Media Group President Tom Beusse. “With this new structure, we are now well-positioned to operate in a 24-7 digital environment. This is a major step forward.”

Another spectacular quote from an executive-slash-spin-doctor.

http://shermanreport.com/layoffs-in-usa-today-sports-mccarthy-weir-pedulla-out/

That is so much **** I can smell it from here (2,000 miles away). It's about "we ain't making as much money as we want to, so let's cut some expensive employees and see what that will do for the bottom line". THAT'S what it is really about it. Dare you to prove me wrong.

If it was about digital, they wouldn't have dumped several online producers.

 

[Drip]

It's official. Gannett now eats its old as well as its young.

 

[DanOregon]

I understand restructuring, what I don't understand is issuing a quote that makes it sound like the people you let go were holding you back from doing so.

 

[outofplace]

I understand restructuring, what I don't understand is issuing a quote that makes it sound like the people you let go were holding you back from doing so.

At least they didn't sign it "Go Gannett"

 

[geddymurphy]

“This process was about redefining and reimagining Sports and the roles within it to create a center of excellence and build a great sports franchise,” said USA Today Sports Media Group President Tom Beusse. “With this new structure, we are now well-positioned to operate in a 24-7 digital environment. This is a major step forward.”

Another spectacular quote from an executive-slash-spin-doctor.

http://shermanreport.com/layoffs-in-usa-today-sports-mccarthy-weir-pedulla-out/

That is so much **** I can smell it from here (2,000 miles away). It's about "we ain't making as much money as we want to, so let's cut some expensive employees and see what that will do for the bottom line". THAT'S what it is really about it. Dare you to prove me wrong.

Remember -- this is a new management group. They're clearing people out to bring in their own people. Some of them are going to be cheaper. Some (Posnanski) aren't.

I have no idea whether they're making a ton of money at the moment, but they would've done all this regardless of today's bottom line. It's all about tomorrow.

Not saying it's a good thing. To me, it looks like a mix of a giant ego trip and a plain old boondoggle.

 

[geddymurphy]

I should say by way of disclaimer that I know of no evidence whatsoever that this was done intentionally. But when you look at the whole list of people who got cut, one thing leaps out at you. That Sports department was disproportionately white to begin with. Now? A whooooole lot whiter.

Again -- I don't want to accuse anyone of anything. Just wondering if this could end up in court.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I believe severance pay is standard for Gannett in these situations, even without a union. But I think its less than most other companies offer.

Gannett's severance packages have shrunk considerably in the last few years. When the layoffs first started most were getting two weeks per year there and now they're getting nothing close to that.

I would think USA Today employees would get a better severance package than those at the other Gannett papers, but maybe not...

 

[LongTimeListener]

I should say by way of disclaimer that I know of no evidence whatsoever that this was done intentionally. But when you look at the whole list of people who got cut, one thing leaps out at you. That Sports department was disproportionately white to begin with. Now? A whooooole lot whiter.

Again -- I don't want to accuse anyone of anything. Just wondering if this could end up in court.

No.

 

[zagoshe]

I obviously think it sucks that people lose their jobs but I've never understood why USA Today had or needed a big staff considering that it is a national paper that could mostly just compile stories from the Gannett properties throughout the country.

 

[yawho?]

I should say by way of disclaimer that I know of no evidence whatsoever that this was done intentionally. But when you look at the whole list of people who got cut, one thing leaps out at you. That Sports department was disproportionately white to begin with. Now? A whooooole lot whiter.

Again -- I don't want to accuse anyone of anything. Just wondering if this could end up in court.

Well, every single layoff and contract non-renewal at Morgan's old shop over the past year, without fail, has been white males, so at least you can apparently be happy that the "right" demographic is being targeted for loss of their livelihood in that instance.

 

[SellOut]

“This process was about redefining and reimagining Sports and the roles within it to create a center of excellence and build a great sports franchise,” said USA Today Sports Media Group President Tom Beusse. “With this new structure, we are now well-positioned to operate in a 24-7 digital environment. This is a major step forward.”

Another spectacular quote from an executive-slash-spin-doctor.

http://shermanreport.com/layoffs-in-usa-today-sports-mccarthy-weir-pedulla-out/

That is so much **** I can smell it from here (2,000 miles away). It's about "we ain't making as much money as we want to, so let's cut some expensive employees and see what that will do for the bottom line". THAT'S what it is really about it. Dare you to prove me wrong.

Remember -- this is a new management group. They're clearing people out to bring in their own people. Some of them are going to be cheaper. Some (Posnanski) aren't.

I have no idea whether they're making a ton of money at the moment, but they would've done all this regardless of today's bottom line. It's all about tomorrow.

Not saying it's a good thing. To me, it looks like a mix of a giant ego trip and a plain old boondoggle.

The guy on that link says "Bad timing for (Pedulla) considering I’ll Have Another will be going for the Triple Crown at the Belmont in a few weeks."

Actually, is there ever a good time to be laid off? And good luck to USAT finding someone to cover a potential Triple Crown who knows anything about horse racing. Sure the headline will be "Horse wins race."

 

[geddymurphy]

I should say by way of disclaimer that I know of no evidence whatsoever that this was done intentionally. But when you look at the whole list of people who got cut, one thing leaps out at you. That Sports department was disproportionately white to begin with. Now? A whooooole lot whiter.

Again -- I don't want to accuse anyone of anything. Just wondering if this could end up in court.

Well, every single layoff and contract non-renewal at Morgan's old shop over the past year, without fail, has been white males,

Who else worked there? Maggie and who else?

People seem kind of defensive about this, but seriously -- if I have the numbers right, over half the non-white population in the Sports department got laid off in one fell swoop. Regardless of intent or whatever, that doesn't look good.

I can attest that a couple of them were shockers. But that's also true of Weir, McCarthy, Pedulla and some others.

The interesting thing -- no women have been laid off. (Check that -- one female page designer is on the list I've seen.) Marlen Garcia and Vicki Michaelis quit on their own, and they hired Mary Byrne. A couple more women have good jobs in the reorg. So far, Morgan has done a lot to undo his rep on the gender front.

 

[SF_Express]

Sure the headline will be "Horse wins race."

Ah, it's been done.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

I believe severance pay is standard for Gannett in these situations, even without a union. But I think its less than most other companies offer.

Gannett's severance packages have shrunk considerably in the last few years. When the layoffs first started most were getting two weeks per year there and now they're getting nothing close to that.

I would think USA Today employees would get a better severance package than those at the other Gannett papers, but maybe not...

They were doing that TPP supplemental pay thing with unemployment, which was a joke because in some states, they basically didn't pay anything. With their recent buyouts, they offered the old-timers the 2-weeks per year package, although they didn't accept everyone who applied.

Which, I would think, would be extremely demoralizing if you were willing to take the offer and then they kept you on just to dump more work on you.

 

[geddymurphy]

“This process was about redefining and reimagining Sports and the roles within it to create a center of excellence and build a great sports franchise,” said USA Today Sports Media Group President Tom Beusse. “With this new structure, we are now well-positioned to operate in a 24-7 digital environment. This is a major step forward.”

Another spectacular quote from an executive-slash-spin-doctor.

http://shermanreport.com/layoffs-in-usa-today-sports-mccarthy-weir-pedulla-out/

That is so much **** I can smell it from here (2,000 miles away). It's about "we ain't making as much money as we want to, so let's cut some expensive employees and see what that will do for the bottom line". THAT'S what it is really about it. Dare you to prove me wrong.

Remember -- this is a new management group. They're clearing people out to bring in their own people. Some of them are going to be cheaper. Some (Posnanski) aren't.

I have no idea whether they're making a ton of money at the moment, but they would've done all this regardless of today's bottom line. It's all about tomorrow.

Not saying it's a good thing. To me, it looks like a mix of a giant ego trip and a plain old boondoggle.

The guy on that link says "Bad timing for (Pedulla) considering I’ll Have Another will be going for the Triple Crown at the Belmont in a few weeks."

Actually, is there ever a good time to be laid off? And good luck to USAT finding someone to cover a potential Triple Crown who knows anything about horse racing. Sure the headline will be "Horse wins race."

Pedulla speaks with Sherman -- interesting stuff. He'll be covering the Belmont. Just not for USA TODAY. And he makes a pretty good case that he apparently didn't have a real chance to make to the powers that be.

http://shermanreport.com/fired-usa-today-sportswriter-never-got-face-to-face-interview-to-keep-job-of-31-years/

 

[imjustagirl]

Has there been a full list somewhere and I just missed it?