Richmond hit AGAIN

[Moderator1]

Just got this, copy of an e-mail sent by the professional association. No idea where in the news room the cuts came from, but this is only six weeks after 29 or so were let go in the news room (and 59 company wide). Not sure where else they can actually cut.

Media General laid off five members of the Richmond Times-Dispatch news staff today. The company said it took the action to save approximately $200,000 in the newsroom budget, including the money saved from the voluntary resignation of another staffer.
As you know, the RNPA offered to defer wage and merit increases until next year in return for reasonable and fair concessions on job security. We repeated our offer in a letter to the company last week after the newsroom voted by a wide margin to defer raises in return for concessions. The company said it saw no reason to meet further on our proposal, but conceded today that it had made no counter-offer to our proposal during four days of discussions.

The company also said today that it did not consider cuts to management positions or pay to save the money.

We deplore these actions, which further diminish the strength of the newspaper and the diversity of the news staff. We are examining the company's actions to determine whether Media General is in violation of the National Labor Relations Act or other federal laws.
We will keep you informed.

 

[forever_town]

I have met The Devil and he is a newspaper publisher.

 

[Moderator1]

From the publisher to staff:

To: All Times-Dispatch Employees
On April 2, I regretfully informed you of painful, but necessary, steps The Times-Dispatch was taking in response to our challenging economic conditions: we eliminated 31 open positions and laid off 59 employees across 11 departments that day. I also announced that there would be no pay increases in 2009 for all non-unionized employees.
We also invited the Richmond Newspapers Professional Association to equally participate in our cost-cutting efforts by foregoing the 2009 pay increases in their union contract. We explained to the RNPA, as we explained to everyone, that wage concessions were necessary in all departments to properly align our expenses with our depressed revenues. We also said that, without wage concessions, it would be necessary to achieve the savings through other means, which could include additional layoffs.
Unfortunately, our requests for pay increase concessions were rejected. This was the wrong answer from the RNPA. As a result, today we laid off an additional five employees in the Newsroom to achieve our targeted expense reductions.
I know all of us are working hard to make sure we can weather an extremely tough recession and serve the information needs of our readers to the very best of our ability. You have all been asked to do more with less and you have shown you are not as shortsighted as some in our Newsroom. Your hard work and continued support are greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
TAS




Sports not hit in this go-round.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

May a shark have your balls in his mouth for all eternity.

 

[forever_town]

What complete and utter bull****.

The newsroom is not where the short-sighted work at The Richmond Times-Dispatch.

I stand by my earlier post in this thread.

 

[SF_Express]

We also invited the Richmond Newspapers Professional Association to equally participate in our cost-cutting efforts by foregoing the 2009 pay increases in their union contract. ... Unfortunately, our requests for pay increase concessions were rejected. This was the wrong answer from the RNPA. As a result, today we laid off an additional five employees in the Newsroom to achieve our targeted expense reductions.

Honest to god, you read that ****, and it really reads like a prison camp or terrorist faction or something on a plane or boat in a bad movie.

"If you do not comply, we'll kill five people every hour until our demands are met."

Seriously, that's exactly what it sounds like. It makes me sick to my stomach.

 

[Armchair_QB]

So it's the union's fault? Riiiiiiiggghhhhttttt.....

The people running newspapers today could **** up a one car funeral.

 

[Moderator1]

We also invited the Richmond Newspapers Professional Association to equally participate in our cost-cutting efforts by foregoing the 2009 pay increases in their union contract. ... Unfortunately, our requests for pay increase concessions were rejected. This was the wrong answer from the RNPA. As a result, today we laid off an additional five employees in the Newsroom to achieve our targeted expense reductions.

Honest to god, you read that ****, and it really reads like a prison camp or terrorist faction or something on a plane or boat in a bad movie.

"If you do not comply, we'll kill five people every hour until our demands are met."

Seriously, that's exactly what it sounds like. It makes me sick to my stomach.

Agree. That is exactly what it sounds like. It makes me sick to my stomach, too.

 

[SF_Express]

Terrorist: "That was the wrong answer. Kill the next one."

 

[Andy _ Kent]

The entire e-mail sucked ass with its spin on blaming the union for this. But yes, that particular passage really made my blood boil.

This asshat needs to be taken out back and flogged, hung upside down by his ****in' toes and then kicked in the head the appropriate amount of times -- once each by the five people who lost their jobs. >:( >:( >:(

 

[Editude]

There was a prickliness there that even the usual obfuscating couldn't touch. Whatever the industry looks like in 10 years, these are still people's (and family's) livelihoods at stake.

 

[ArnoldBabar]

It must feel great to get laid off by a newspaper publisher who is the only person in the building who doesn't know the difference between forego and forgo.

He should have sent that memo to a copy editor first -- and then the copy editor should have come upstairs and punched him square in the face.

 

[imjustagirl]

****.

 

[Drip]

We also invited the Richmond Newspapers Professional Association to equally participate in our cost-cutting efforts by foregoing the 2009 pay increases in their union contract. ... Unfortunately, our requests for pay increase concessions were rejected. This was the wrong answer from the RNPA. As a result, today we laid off an additional five employees in the Newsroom to achieve our targeted expense reductions.

Honest to god, you read that ****, and it really reads like a prison camp or terrorist faction or something on a plane or boat in a bad movie.

"If you do not comply, we'll kill five people every hour until our demands are met."

Seriously, that's exactly what it sounds like. It makes me sick to my stomach.

Agree. That is exactly what it sounds like. It makes me sick to my stomach, too.

Moddy, I'm curious. Were those axed considered "trouble makers" by management?

 

[Moderator1]

Soon as I find out all the names, I will let you know. But the names I know now? Nope. Unless they'd become troublemakers since I left.

That's at least 37 in three rounds since December.

 

[Dirk Legume]

If I understand what I have read here correctly:

The union agreed to increase concessions

Management ignored them, then claimed they would not concede on increases.

I know this is the journalism board and there are different standards, but:

The ****ERS are just making **** up now?

Good god.

 

[MileHigh]

Is Richmond becoming LANG?

 

[bmm]

But as with all other papers, you're expected to put in more free hours, bust your butt harder and take a pay cut at the same time. I think it's about time to get out of this industry.

 

[podunk press]

To be fair, haven't we always worked a ton of hours in this industry?

 

[The Granny]

Sigh ... when will MG realize that if they dump one property, most of their problems will go away.