The News Tribune on Monday offered voluntary buyout deals to 189 of its 350 full-time staffers although the publisher said the newspaper doesn't intend to accept anywhere near that number as it works to bring its expenses in line with reduced advertising income.
"The first order of business is any expense reduction that doesn't involve people," Publisher David Zeeck said in a telephone interview, adding the paper is looking at other, unspecified things in terms of both revenues and expenses.
He declined to say how much the paper was trying to achieve in annual savings. He added the buyout offer was just a "first piece" to see how many staffers might be interested in accepting.
Expense trimming could potentially involve layoffs, depending on the response to the buyout offer and what savings can be achieved elsewhere, he said.
"We have to produce a quality product and get it to people," Zeeck said.
The newspaper also said it has imposed work-week reductions on all hourly workers.
The buyout offer announced Monday is the second round of staff reductions at the paper. Eighty-two News Tribune workers left the paper as a result of a similar offer in mid-June.
A story posted on the newspaper's Web site said affected employees were being offered a buyout package of two weeks' pay for every year of service up to 13 years and some health benefits.
If McClatchy is looking at other cost reductions, I suggest they start with Gary's jet.
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3 comments:
The Olympian offered similar buyouts as well. The two papers are now coordinating efforts including sharing some staff. It would have been awkward to make this move at one and not the other.
Yes, here's the link on the story about The Olympian offering buyouts to most of its newsroom employees ...
http://www.theolympian.com/business/story/578357.html
There are also negotiations with in the press shop's of the Olympian and The News Tribune unions bargaining agreements to bring the Olympia printing staff and paper to the Tribune. However Mcclatchy wants the union to lay off close to half the staff of the Olympian before the move, (trying to turn union brother and sisters against each other) The Tribune union members are refusing to do this. Now the Tribune management staff is threatening to lay off 4 to 5 Tribune press employees if the new Tribune-Olympian bargaining agreement isn't voted in.
The ship is sinking is time to get off.
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