Is this normal after a paper gets sold?

[FuturaBold]

The deal closes today, effective at 11:59 midnight. The company that just bought us has not informed anyone of their future status, from the publisher on down, including someone from the old regime that is supposed to be on the transition team... So we're all hanging out here in the newsroom, playing the waiting game. Do we work on Monday's paper? Do we still plan to go to the stuff we were going to cover over the weekend?

Anyone else been through something similar? Unnerving to say the least.

 

[Moderator1]

Well, the day the Durham sale became official they met some folks in the parking lot. They walked through the newsroom with their figurative ax, cutting people on the spot.
Go to work and hope no one is there waiting for you.

 

[MonitorLizard]

Work until they tell you not to. and I hope they don't tell you not to. Good luck

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

My experience is that they say, "We plan no major changes at this time," and that "at this time" means a couple of months. But then, as Moddy says, there is another way to do it.

 

[chazp]

Hang in there. Maybe no more changes are coming for a while, but start looking.

 

[suburbia]

Well, the day the Durham sale became official they met some folks in the parking lot. They walked through the newsroom with their figurative ax, cutting people on the spot.
Go to work and hope no one is there waiting for you.

Did they at least offer some kind of a severance package to those they got rid of? Or did they do it JRC style - ie, we don't need you, you're fired, these kind gentlemen will escort you to your car?

 

[sportschick]

The one sale I went through, nothing changed until several months later (after I'd moved on).

The one I'm at now was sold right before I started, new publisher and that's about it.

 

[FuturaBold]

Lots of rumors swirling around about how they will deal with us ... latest word is that the deal isn't going to be official till Monday. So we get all weekend to wait it out ...

From what I understand, the way the deal works is we are all terminated, technically speaking, the moment the old company bites the dust (and our insurance goes bye-bye as well). Then the new folks can pick and choose who they want to keep on, so they don't have to offer severence to the folks they don't want, etc. because those folks were never their employees to begin with ... kind of crummy way to do business if you ask me ...

 

[SoCalDude]

First off, be glad it's not Singleton. If it was, the goners would be gone already. He writes it into the sale that the outgoing owners wield the axe.
As was previously state, work until they tell you not to.

 

[boots]

First off, I'm sorry that you're in your predicament. I pray and wish you well. I've been saying for the longest that if you didn't get a job by June that it was going to be extremely difficult.
Don't worry about the axe falling. Go out the way you came in, as a professional. Here is something that gets me through the day.
God grant me the courage to accept the things I can change.
The serenity to accept the things I can not change.
And the wisdom to know the difference.
The hardest part is the wisdom my friend but I'm pulling for you.

 

[Taylee]

Lots of rumors swirling around about how they will deal with us ... latest word is that the deal isn't going to be official till Monday. So we get all weekend to wait it out ...

From what I understand, the way the deal works is we are all terminated, technically speaking, the moment the old company bites the dust (and our insurance goes bye-bye as well). Then the new folks can pick and choose who they want to keep on, so they don't have to offer severence to the folks they don't want, etc. because those folks were never their employees to begin with ... kind of crummy way to do business if you ask me ...

Nearby paper recently was sold and new owners did similar thing. Kept everyone on payroll, but everyone had to re-apply for the job, including management. Most were kept, but I will give the new owners credit. The newsroom people they axed were the worst ones, from outside perspective as well as those in the building. That's why they make you re-apply so they can pick and choose who to cut. Sometimes that means the most expensive ones, but other times, like this one, is to trim the fat.

Keep a good attitude; you're not the first one to go through this, nor will you be the last. If there will be cuts, some decisions already may have been made and some may be made later. Attitude and hard work could mean a lot.
Good luck.

 

[beefncheddar]

Went through one sale (Harte-Hankes to Scripps) and you'd never know it happened.

But that was a LOOOOOONG time ago, even though it wasn't, really.

 

[Canuck Pappy]

Up here in Canada we are going through a sale. My only advice is be professional--you never know who is watching.
An oldtimer in the news room told us a story that was similar to the Simpsons episode where the Germans bought the power plant.
The sports department had a total screwup and the new company came in and said there were going to be layoffs.
A day goes by and the only layoff was the sports guy, everyone else was safe.

Attention workers, we have completed our evaluation of the plant. We regret
to announce the following lay-offs, which I will read in alphabetical order:
Simpson, Homer.
That is all.

 

[Claws for Concern]

I agree with all of those on this thread saying that you should treat the situation as a professional. Work as hard as you always do and whatever happens, happens. I hope for your sake that all goes well. Hang in there.

 

[FuturaBold]

I agree with all of those on this thread saying that you should treat the situation as a professional. Work as hard as you always do and whatever happens, happens. I hope for your sake that all goes well. Hang in there.

That's the plan for all of us in our newsroom ... I did hear one other paper in Mid-South (S.C. I believe) had a mass walk-out over this last week. Wow ... We're just eager to know what the future holds...

 

[boots]

I agree with all of those on this thread saying that you should treat the situation as a professional. Work as hard as you always do and whatever happens, happens. I hope for your sake that all goes well. Hang in there.

That's the plan for all of us in our newsroom ... I did hear one other paper in Mid-South (S.C. I believe) had a mass walk-out over this last week. Wow ... We're just eager to know what the future holds...

Don't give them a reason to let you go. A mass walk out gives them that reason.

 

[Double J]

Up here in Canada we are going through a sale. My only advice is be professional--you never know who is watching.
An oldtimer in the news room told us a story that was similar to the Simpsons episode where the Germans bought the power plant.
The sports department had a total screwup and the new company came in and said there were going to be layoffs.
A day goes by and the only layoff was the sports guy, everyone else was safe.

Attention workers, we have completed our evaluation of the plant. We regret
to announce the following lay-offs, which I will read in alphabetical order:
Simpson, Homer.
That is all.

Are you a Quebecor-bound Ospreyite as well?