Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Fresno Bee announces plan to lay off at least 16 full-time and 5 part-time Guild members, implement pay cut

Here is the proposal from Fresno Bee management:

BARGAINING BULLETIN March 3, 2009

The Fresno Bee bargaining committee met Tuesday morning with Fresno Bee management to be briefed on layoff plans and a company proposal for fewer layoffs combined with pay cuts and other measures outlined below.

Basically, we have two options:

1. Layoff of 21 full-time and five part-time employees in the bargaining unit. Under our contract, the company can do this without our consent.
.

2. Layoff of 16 full-time and five part-time employees in the bargaining unit, plus all of the following. This option requires approval by our membership:

a. Pay cuts, effective April 13, 2009:

Base salary under $35,000 – 0%
$35,000-$59,999 – 4%
$60,000-$89,999 – 6%

b. Furloughs: Publisher has the right to implement a one-week furlough for full-time employees in the second half of 2009 under the same conditions as non-bargaining unit employees on 30 days notice to the Guild. (Certain production department employees are excluded.) We were told furloughs were less likely here than in Sacramento and Modesto.

c. Vacation accrual: Effective July 1, 2009, vacation accrual is capped at one week more than the employee’s annual allotment. Currently the cap is 1.5 times the annual allotment. May be extended by mutual agreement between employee and publisher.

d. COBRA: Under the federal stimulus program, employees on layoff and eligible dependents covered under the group health, dental, vision and EAP plans will be eligible for a government subsidy requiring them to pay only 35% of premiums for up to nine months (compared to 20% for three months maximum under current contract).

e. Buyouts: At its discretion, the publisher will accept applicants for buyouts in lieu of layoffs if the rest of the alternative package is accepted.

f. Extra severance Those bought out or laid off will have the option of receiving an extra week’s severance pay in return for releasing the company from all future claims and giving up their right to go on the rehire list.


Under our contract, we get 30 days notice (or pay in lieu) for any layoffs. We have not yet been told whether the company’s plan also will require a 60-day notice under the WARN Act. (The 30 days notice would be included in the 60-day notice.)


The bargaining committee will be presenting this offer to members in good standing for their vote without a recommendation. There will be a parking lot meeting Wednesday at noon. If you cannot attend, bring your questions to any of us and we will get you answers. The vote will be Tuesday, March 10, from noon to 4 p.m. in the third floor auditorium. If you cannot make that time, please contact one of us and we will help you make other arrangements. If you are not eligible to vote, you can still come by during that time and ask questions.


Representing the company were attorney Bob Ford and HR director Laura Janigian. Representing the Guild were local reps Linda Frediani and Wendy Mejia, as well as reporters Sandy Nax (unit chair), Tracy Correa (vice chair) and Russell Clemings (secretary).


Via email.
.
.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

McClatchy Files Form 10-K and Reports Final Results for 2008
It looks like the same-o, same-o to me.
http://tinyurl.com/cc3hsq

Anonymous said...

Is this the Change-O voters wanted?

Anonymous said...

Actually no, it is not the same-o. The year end report included larger losses than they reported at their fourth quarter announcement, thus the rather drop this morning. Delaying their year end report till now allowed them to slip it in under the radar where only market insiders would take notice.

The initial release was leaked via PR with the actual news, but even the bloggers didn't understand and ignored the significance of it. It was a headline that didn't get reported except in passing.

Anonymous said...

It will be interesting to see how many laid off newsroom folks in Fresno and Modesto will learn how to spell i-l-l-e-g-a-l when they start looking jobs and discover the whole market is influenced by "immigrant" workers.

Anonymous said...

Research history......the way to solve the unemployment problem in the US is to deport all illegal immigrants. By the way, that will also solve much of the welfare defecit and drain on the entire educational and medical system. Then severely penalize corporate American companies for every single job sent overseas at the rate of a fee three times what the US dollars sent overseas totals.

Think about it........MNI and others will have to rethink their plan!

Anonymous said...

This blog is filled with racist and ignorant readers...much like the republican party.

Anonymous said...

I'm just laughing and laughing at the sobbing coming from these liberal "journalists" who are getting a well-deserved axe. Where's your Obama Messiah now? Why hasn't he saved you?

Maybe now you liberals will finally learn! I doubt it, though, most will be welfare cases for the rest of your lives, since you've never actually learned a useful skill other than spewing liberal propoganda.

Anonymous said...

12:40 PM said:
“…year end report till now allowed them to slip it in under the radar…”
-----------
So, MNI tried to slip in the report, but it still caused the 5 cent drop today? Do you think Pruitt actually thought he could pull a fast one?
It may be time to set the 25Ȼ firewall.

Anonymous said...

Amom 3:22 Although part of me is laughing with you brudder, I hope some of these mugs get religion, and simply understand how the left pawned them.

Anonymous said...

So, MNI tried to slip in the report, but it still caused the 5 cent drop today? Do you think Pruitt actually thought he could pull a fast one?
It may be time to set the 25Ȼ firewall.
----

MNI always tries to hold back information and amend it at a later date. They do it every single time, and then flood their press releases with some nonsensical trivia to run the real stories off the page.

This time though it was combined with news they didn't release and that was they're getting beat out of money they say that they're owed. The only problem is, the people that they think owe them disagree, so they are talking loudly.

New bar is .30 cents. 24,700 shares actually traded at .35 this morning. I don't know why it wasn't listed, but the trade did happen. I suspect an institutional short covering right at the open.

Anonymous said...

3:22:

I'm just laughing and laughing at the sobbing coming from these liberal "journalists" who are getting a well-deserved axe. Where's your Obama Messiah now? Why hasn't he saved you?

Maybe now you liberals will finally learn! I doubt it, though, most will be welfare cases for the rest of your lives, since you've never actually learned a useful skill other than spewing liberal propoganda.

I work at a NW McClatchy newspaper and have been on pins and needles waiting to find out if I will have a job in the coming weeks, if my salary will be cut, and if so --- how the F*#! will I pay my mortgage, get groceries, heaping medical bills and basic necessities of life. I already have a second job and am looking for a third. I started turning to this blog in the past few weeks with hopes of finding a clue of trends at our other papers so I can brace myself.

I had no idea there were so many UNCARING, VICIOUS, HORRIBLE, MEAN, SELF-CENTERED, IGORNANT people out there. I have too much faith in people’s decency apparently. Are you an absolute idiot?! Like many of my McClatchy colleages, we are just trying to keep a paycheck that isn’t that big to begin with, to pay for food, shelter, provide for our families and maintain some kind sanity in an industry that is slipping away. How could there be so many people who wish harm on people just because of their career choice and apparently because we are “liberals.”

SHAME ON YOU 3:22!

Anonymous said...

I agree with Shame. I am a Mc Clatchy worker who was laid off this Fall. To laugh at hardworking people who lose their jobs whether Liberal or any party is inhumane. The last 8 years of this country has been udermined by an administration of the far right. This newly elected government is taking action whereas in the past years it was talk, talk, talk. You shouldn't blame the "Liberals" for a deteriorated government the inherited. They are trying to dig us out of a deep cavern that the "Conservatives" created. When the 2000 Presidential term began this country was not in a recession. The National budget had an overage. Now over 8 years of Republican mismanagement has left this country near depression era statistics and billions of dollars in debt.