Globe cutbacks: the early buzz

DQM hears from several sources that the latest round of Boston Globe buyouts will likely be announced tomorrow. Here are the numbers, based on multiple conversations and with the caveat that nothing's official yet:

--80 jobs total will be cut at the New England Media Group, which includes the Globe and the Worcester Telegram & Gazette;

--60 jobs will be cut at the Globe, with 40 to 45 union jobs going and the rest coming from targeted management buyouts;

--Three weeks severance pay per year of service will be offered to members of the union's “protected list,” which guarantees lifetime employment to those hired during a certain period; two weeks severance pay per year of service will be offered to everyone else.

During previous cutbacks under the New York Times Co., newsroom attrition at the Globe has represented about 20 percent of total attrition at New England Newspaper Group. (See, for example, 2007 and 2005.) If this pattern holds--and there's no guarantee it will--the Globe can expect to lose about 16 newsroom jobs this time around. 

Compared to the Times's impending 100 newsroom cuts, that might not seem like much. But here’s the catch: coupled with the two aforementioned reductions, 16 newsroom cuts would leave the Globe 75 newsroom jobs short of its total in the fall of 2005. And while the Times had 1332 newsroom jobs before the latest round of cuts was announced, the Globe is already down to about 375.

More to come, obviously.