This blog is mainly about the spectacular train wreck at The Sacramento Bee and its parent company, the McClatchy Company. But I also post about current events, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, politics, anything else that grabs my attention. Take a look around this blog, hope you enjoy it.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Wednesday June 3 -- Got news or an update?
If you have news or an update, leave it in comments. . . .
9 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer will no longer include return envelopes with the Subscriber's bill. Next they'll have to supply their own toilet paper for the bathrooms.
"Automatic monthly withdrawals create an inertia in newspapers' favor." *********************** No it does not. At the Sac Bee when they converted all to pay direct circulation dropped like a rock. Why ? Because the paper could no longer carry all the dead beats they previously had the poor carriers chase for payment. These dead beats never paid and the Bee knew it they did not care if the carriers lost money as long as they could show higher circulation numbers to ABC.
Editor Gary Graham announced this afternoon that everyone in the Spokesman-Review newsroom, including himself, will be required to take five days of unpaid furlough by Sept. 30. The move forestalls the possible layoff of five more employees in the newsroom, as advertising revenue continues to lag behind projections. Graham said he remains optimistic that there will be no more layoffs in the newsroom through the end of the year. However, a number of layoffs will take place in the circulation and advertising departments by the end of the month.
The Teamsters union is threatening a strike that it says would likely shut down the Minneapolis Star Tribune if the newspaper, which is in bankruptcy protection, is allowed to scrap its contract with unionized drivers.
Teamsters Local 638 filed its opposition Monday to the newspaper's proposal to reject the contract.
The newspaper wants to pull out of what it calls a "critically unfunded" multi-employer pension plan that was costing it more than $1 million a year in plan contributions.
But the Teamsters local, which represents about 190 full- and part-time drivers at the Star Tribune, has authorized a strike if a federal bankruptcy court allows the newspaper to reject the contract. The drivers say that if they strike, Teamsters local unions that represent mailers and pressmen at the paper also likely would strike.
"Because these employees operate the presses which print the paper, assemble the papers and deliver the papers, a Local 638 strike is likely to have a devastating impact on the Star Tribune's ability to operate, and in all likelihood will shut the paper down," the drivers' union said.
Star Tribune spokesman Ben Taylor said Tuesday that talks continue with the Teamsters and that the newspaper will respond in court. A hearing is set for next Tuesday.
In its court filing, the drivers' union said participation in the Central States Pension Fund is "critical" to its members and noted that in 1964, the local struck the Star Tribune for five months to get pension coverage for its members through Central States.
"The pensions which they have earned provide the bedrock for a secure and dignified retirement for these employees, many of whom at this point have given their entire working lives to the Star Tribune," the union said.
If the Star Tribune is allowed to withdraw from Central States, the union says, drivers who retired during the past year or have yet to retire "will suffer significant reductions" in pension benefits.
Although the Star Tribune has proposed making up some of the lost pension money, the union says, employees in their mid- to late-50s will be hardest hit and won't be able to make up the reduction in their pension before they retire.
The Star Tribune is seeking to cut labor costs by $20 million a year as it prepares to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The delivery truck drivers' union is the last major bargaining unit that hasn't agreed to concessions.
The Star Tribune filed for bankruptcy in January under pressure from plummeting ad sales and heavy debt taken on when Avista Capital Partners LP bought the paper from McClatchy Co. in 2007.
9 comments:
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer will no longer include return envelopes with the Subscriber's bill. Next they'll have to supply their own toilet paper for the bathrooms.
Get 'em all over on credit cards and they won't have to fool with bills at all.
Automatic monthly withdrawals create an inertia in newspapers' favor.
http://blogs.pitch.com/plog/2009/06/scott_p_roeder_worked_for_the_kansas_city_star_george_tiller.php
Who's going to the big Star-Telegram picnic tommorow, I know I wouldn't miss it.
"Automatic monthly withdrawals create an inertia in newspapers' favor."
***********************
No it does not. At the Sac Bee when they converted all to pay direct circulation dropped like a rock. Why ? Because the paper could no longer carry all the dead beats they previously had the poor carriers chase for payment. These dead beats never paid and the Bee knew it they did not care if the carriers lost money as long as they could show higher circulation numbers to ABC.
SPOKESMAN-REVIEW Newsroom
Editor Gary Graham announced this afternoon that everyone in the Spokesman-Review newsroom, including himself, will be required to take five days of unpaid furlough by Sept. 30. The move forestalls the possible layoff of five more employees in the newsroom, as advertising revenue continues to lag behind projections. Graham said he remains optimistic that there will be no more layoffs in the newsroom through the end of the year. However, a number of layoffs will take place in the circulation and advertising departments by the end of the month.
The Teamsters union is threatening a strike that it says would likely shut down the Minneapolis Star Tribune if the newspaper, which is in bankruptcy protection, is allowed to scrap its contract with unionized drivers.
Teamsters Local 638 filed its opposition Monday to the newspaper's proposal to reject the contract.
The newspaper wants to pull out of what it calls a "critically unfunded" multi-employer pension plan that was costing it more than $1 million a year in plan contributions.
But the Teamsters local, which represents about 190 full- and part-time drivers at the Star Tribune, has authorized a strike if a federal bankruptcy court allows the newspaper to reject the contract. The drivers say that if they strike, Teamsters local unions that represent mailers and pressmen at the paper also likely would strike.
"Because these employees operate the presses which print the paper, assemble the papers and deliver the papers, a Local 638 strike is likely to have a devastating impact on the Star Tribune's ability to operate, and in all likelihood will shut the paper down," the drivers' union said.
Star Tribune spokesman Ben Taylor said Tuesday that talks continue with the Teamsters and that the newspaper will respond in court. A hearing is set for next Tuesday.
In its court filing, the drivers' union said participation in the Central States Pension Fund is "critical" to its members and noted that in 1964, the local struck the Star Tribune for five months to get pension coverage for its members through Central States.
"The pensions which they have earned provide the bedrock for a secure and dignified retirement for these employees, many of whom at this point have given their entire working lives to the Star Tribune," the union said.
If the Star Tribune is allowed to withdraw from Central States, the union says, drivers who retired during the past year or have yet to retire "will suffer significant reductions" in pension benefits.
Although the Star Tribune has proposed making up some of the lost pension money, the union says, employees in their mid- to late-50s will be hardest hit and won't be able to make up the reduction in their pension before they retire.
The Star Tribune is seeking to cut labor costs by $20 million a year as it prepares to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The delivery truck drivers' union is the last major bargaining unit that hasn't agreed to concessions.
The Star Tribune filed for bankruptcy in January under pressure from plummeting ad sales and heavy debt taken on when Avista Capital Partners LP bought the paper from McClatchy Co. in 2007.
the star-tele is having a picnic? that should be jolly...
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