Tuesday, September 9, 2008

List of McClatchy buyouts during August and September - updated

Here is the list of McClatchy newspapers that have offered buyouts since the beginning of August.

Tri-City Herald (Kennewick, Washington)
The News Tribune (Tacoma)
The Olympian (Olympia, Washington)
Charlotte Observer
Raleigh News & Observer
Bradenton Herald
Fresno Bee
Wichita Eagle
Sacramento Bee
Kansas City Star
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Modesto Bee
Lexington Herald-Leader

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Today my heart is broken. After 20years at a job I loved and made a decent wage I HAD to turn in my buyout papers. Yea, it is suppose to be a voluntary buyout but it really wasn't they made it clear take it or else. What do I do now? Wife has had two types of cancer. Now no insurance after three months. Gary shame on you!!!!

Kevin Gregory said...

Sorry about what you have to go through.

You make a good point -- most people don't realize the buyouts are "take it or else" -- not really voluntary.

Anonymous said...

Just a question..... if you accept the voluntary buy-out, are you still eligible for unemployment benefits? Or does that only apply to employees who are forced out?

Anonymous said...

They say yes in person but their paper handouts say no. What a company. Can't even be truthful about that. They CARE NOTHING about anybody but themselves. Class Action?????

Anonymous said...

You can add the Tri-City Herald to the list. The little paper in Washington State that has always outperformed the big guys. We're constantly being told how our numbers are better, we have 70 percent of market share on web traffic, and our circulation is looking up. McClatchy can't have that, so they'll keep cutting until our numbers are as dismal as the rest.

Anonymous said...

Today I was notified that my buyout was accepted and got the crap about how I' ll be missed. Please save the talk it has NOTHING to do whether your paper is profitable it is about your salary. At the same time their giving you this crap they are running help wanted ads for $7.00 an hour.

All the employees at McClathy papers should have picked one day and EVERYONE should have called in sick. Maybe that would have made the news at least TV.

Anonymous said...

Use up all your sick pay before you go or you will not get Paid for it.just a tip from a Modesto Bee victim

Anonymous said...

Depending on the state, the Employment Department may or may not determine you eligible for benefits. The HR VP at our, ahem, "informative" buyout meeting said that no one had been turned down by the state (CA.)

Yeah, I've turned down two buyout offers so far. I'll hold out and try to be patient in finding another job and that will be my way of telling them tto shove the offer.

Chapter 11 here we come.

Anonymous said...

sept.4, 5:07 I realy empathize with you. I really hope it works out for you. One maintenance guy they laid off on bloody monday had cancer, his wife works and he is not eligible for medi-cal or medi-care. He is in bad shape and can barely afford the cost of the (lousy) health care McClatchy is letting us keep at our current cost for three months.
EXCUSE THE FOLLOWING RANT...
The health care switch was just another McClatchy slap in the face...after the KR purchase we were obliged to follow the path of destruction that "shared services" saw fit to send us down...WHO THE HECK IS SHARED SERVICES ANYWAY??? We had to switch to their vendors, supplies (paper towles, toilet paper, soap)etc. Did it save the company money? Who knows...Who cares. They tried to make us switch ink companies because it was cheaper but after our manager figured the cost savings...IT WAS MORE EXPENSIVE!!! Was shared services just another chink in the 'ol McClatchy armor? Switching to their health care...Aetna and Cigna dental and the bottom tier of VSP vision, only cost us more both in time, hassles and cost! Personally I think the company got too top heavy and overloaded with presidents, vice presidents, executive officers etc. ...too many chefs stirring the pot. (isn't this what Enron did?) Good bye and good riddance...BTW YES take your sick leave or you WILL lose it! Demand any vacation pay as a seperate check from your severance or it will get taxed heavily. Your severance will be taxed somewhere around 35% to 40% as it is considered a bonus. If you get your vac. separate it will be considered regular wages. Go directly to your EDD dept. to see what you can get. Save every letter the company sends you to document your unemployed status. Keep check stubs, EVERYTHING! If you belong to a bargaining unit, contact your chairman, union leaders etc. to make sure McClatchy isn't trying to cheat you out of something. Have the lawyers double check the wording of any documents you have to sign, or fall under it's jurisdiction.

Anonymous said...

Sept 9 11:37 p.m. I appreciate your advice but we have NO power on how we are paid and we can GET NOTHING if we do not agree and sign a release. If we don't sign it we will not get any money. The only thing we will have is no job. .

Anonymous said...

Add the Telegraph in Macon, Ga. to the list