Free Press dumps 25 editorial staffers

These would be the non-union workers without contracts guaranteeing layoffs based on seniority: Laura Varon Brown, Sharon Wilmore, Alice Pepper, Sandy Aceval and Nate Trela.

Eight women, one man.

Hmmm.

I’m hearing also that there will be no library. Alice Pepper was head of the Free Press library, but according to an insider, the entire library will be eliminated.

I was told earlier that the News, Free Press and Detroit Media Partnership are cutting 100 to 150 people. I’m not sure how that computes with the memo quoted below. It seems to add up to 25 when you total the 20 on this list with the five non-union people already fired.

The Newspaper Guild can negotiate to some extent for union-covered workers. Seniority rules apply, though there’s confusion because in recent years many people have been moved from one work classification to another and time in service has been blurred.

Laid-off workers will receive two weeks of pay for each year of service, per the Guild contract. The company is asking for volunteers to leave with severance pay.

Two meetings were set for this afternoon (5-21-09) to spell out management’s intentions.

Here’s today’s e-mail announcement to staff from Editor/Publisher Paul Anger:

Published on: May 21, 2009 10:20 AM

Because of the continued, severe economic decline, we are taking several steps to reduce newsroom expenses, including more significant cuts in non-payroll expenses.

As part of the process, we are also forced to reduce staff in many newsroom job classifications.

 Reductions will involve about 10% of both bargaining unit and non-bargaining unit staff. Here are bargaining unit job classifications that will have reductions, and the number of positions we plan to reduce in each:

Editorial Writers – 1

Part-time Reporters – 4

Artists – 2

Picture Editors – 1

Librarian – 1

News Archivist – 1

Designers – 1

Sports Agate Editors – 2

Editorial Research Assistants – 1

Part-time Editorial Research Assistant – 1

Copy Editors – 1

Part-Time Copy Editors – 2

Part-Time Web Editors – 2

Bargaining unit members in the affected classifications above will have 30 days to volunteer for severance, effective today. That period ends with the close of business on Friday, June 19. We expect to notify all staff members who are affected by the reductions by Monday, June 22, with departures effective Tuesday, June 23. We reserve the right to decline offers if we receive too many volunteers in a particular classification.

Because severance terms for bargaining unit positions vary based on each employee’s start date, please refer to the contract, Article XIV, for specifics. Severance will be paid as a salary continuation.

We will be respectful of the staff members who will be departing and of the process over the next 30 days. This is a difficult time, and we all recognize that.

Staff meetings for all Free Pressers will be held in the Academy at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. today to answer any questions you have.

— Paul