ProJo to cut 30 news employees, none in advertising

Well, so much for the days when the Providence Journal engaged in relatively benign cuts.

We knew the latest buyout wasn't enough. But it's going to get a lot worse.

From the Providence Newspaper Guild.

Journal to Lay Off 30 From News; No One From Advertising

The Journal will be cutting its entire News Department part-time staff plus five full-time positions. No advertising jobs will be cut.

With one exception, the cuts will result in the least senior employee being laid off. The one exception is a reduction in the number of news online designers from three to two. All the employees in this classification are fulltime. The least senior designer will be laid off unless she qualifies for another job.

In addition to the news part-timer, full timers hired into the News Department on or after May 30, 2006 will lose their jobs. Under the Guild contract, part-time employees are less senior to full time employees.

The last day of work for laid-off employees will be Friday October 10.

The Human Resources Department will be personally notifying laid-off employees beginning Thursday.
Laid-off employees will have the option of receiving the severance package being offered to A.H. Belo workers at other papers.

The Belo severance package calls for 1.25 weeks pay for every year of employment up to 20 years with 2.5 week’s pay for every year over 20. The maximum payout is capped at 35 weeks. . . . .

Everyone who is being laid off is getting two weeks notice. The company has told us there will be no security guard escorts to the door, or sudden disconnecting of your computers.

We have tried to work out with the company what might be called the best way to handle a bad situation.

People, our friends and coworkers, are losing their livelihoods. Families are losing their health insurance and the company is losing gifted and dedicated workers at exactly the time in its history when it needs them the most.

The truth is, there is no ‘best’ way to handle this.