Even With Maximum Buy-Outs, Strib Plans Lay-Offs

(SEE IMPORTANT UPDATE BELOW)>

Is this bait and switch?

Star Tribune Guild officer Chris Serres notifying his colleagues this morning …

>>> Christopher Serres 5/29/2007 9:44 AM >>>

Dear Guild friends and colleagues,

The buyout package agreed to by the Guild was intended to reduce the need for involuntary layoffs. However, there is still a possibility that layoffs will occur, even if the company meets its targeted goal of 50 job reductions in the newsroom and editorial departments.

In a meeting with management on May 18, Guild members of the Star Tribune support staff were told that the company intended to eliminate 10 of their positions, including six news assistants. If that goal was not reached, layoffs might occur, Guild members were told.

It is the first indication that cuts to the newsroom could exceed the 50 originally sought by the company when it unveiled its cost-cutting plan earlier this month.

Guesstimates in recent days had at least 50 Stribbers accepting the paper’s buy-out plan. (Deadline to notify the paper is 5 p.m. June 1, this Friday.) Previously it had been assumed that 50 newsroom cuts (not all necessarily reporters) would satisfy new owners, Avista Capital Partners, at least for the time being. This latest news suggests otherwise.

Since a lay-off under current rules would garner less medical coverage than is being offered under the buy-out, this “news” could inspire even more to take the money and run.

UPDATE: Later Tuesday Strib Guild members received the following correction …

Dear Guild members,

In a note sent earlier today about possible layoffs, the following sentence was not accurate: “It is the first indication that cuts to the newsroom could exceed the 50 originally sought by the company when it unveiled its cost-cutting plan earlier this month.”

In fact, the company has assured us that it does not intend job cuts to exceed 50 positions. However, targeted layoffs may occur in job classifications in which there are too many people for the positions available.

But the total jobs cut, either through layoffs or buyouts, likely will not exceed 50.

Apologies for the error.

Your unit officers