Seattle Times Asks Employees: Give Up A Week's Pay

SEATTLE (AP) -- The Seattle Times on Friday asked 500 managers and nonunion workers to take a week off without pay in the face of mounting financial troubles at the newspaper.

Executive Editor David Boardman broke the news in a meeting with editors Friday morning.

Employees may take the week off all at once, one day at a time, or in multiple-day blocks, but it must be taken by the end of February, Alayne Fardella, senior vice president for business operations, wrote in a staff memo.

"I regret that we do not have better news for you at this time," Fardella wrote. "It has been and continues to be a long and difficult fight for our survival."

The Times has cut nearly 500 positions in the past year, leaving it with about 1,410 full and part-time employees. Executives have warned that more job cuts could be coming next year, and Fardella wrote in her memo that The Times would be asking for concessions from unions representing the newspaper's workers after Jan. 1.

Fardella cited the frozen credit markets and the effect of the country's economic instability on jobs and consumer spending as factors facing the news industry, which has slashed thousands of jobs in recent months. Circulation and advertising revenue have plummeted at papers around the country.

Seattle Times Co. spokeswoman Jill Mackie said she did not immediately know how much money the company expected to save from the furloughs. Nonunion positions include managers and editors, administrative and finance staff, and workers at the newspaper's Web site.

The Times, the largest newspaper in Washington state, is run by the Blethen family, which holds a 50.5 percent stake in the company. The rest is held by McClatchy Co.

Comments

[racom]

As an old guy I can remenber a time when readers felt that the newspapers were playing it straight with them, publishing the truth and we were all in it together. No more.
From Wikipedia,
"The concept of the media or press as a fourth branch stems from a belief that the news media's responsibility to inform the populace is essential to the healthy functioning of the democracy. The phrase "Fourth Estate" may be used to emphasise the independence of the press particularly when this is contrasted with the press as a "fourth branch".

Today we readers feel betrayed, no loyalty from nor to the press. There was a time that the loss of the press was alarming, no more. The management of the news has perverted the truth to the point that it cannot be trusted. "Embedded reporters", managed news from the pentagon. "White House press corp", stenographers for propaganda. No truth, no loyalty, no need.

[SnapShots]

This didn't happen overnight. I quit the newspaper industry five years ago after 23 years in the business because the writing was on the wall. Stockholders and Wall Street were making unrealistic demands for profit and growth, setting the industry up for failure. Newspapers' failed to accept the real need to budget shrinking revenue into their five and ten year plans while failing to establish dominance in the digital paradigm. The industry today as it is today is unsustainable.

[thefooligan5]

How much of a pay cut are the CEOs taking? None seems like a good guess.

[SnapShots]

Newspaper pages aren't as valuable as they used to be, both intellectually and in what they have to offer advertisers in terms of readership, circulation and market penetration.

As such, the metropolitan newspaper industry is now on a slippery slope.

My crystal ball tells me small, regional or localized, community-focused publishers will emerge again, covering all the major daily local bases online, but also publishing weekly, monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, annual publications that accent the online product. These entities won't need a lot of employees. They won't need to generate vast amounts of revenue to be sustainable and they will fill the demand for local information that the metros have abandoned.

[AbrahamSadegh]

The First Amendment is at the foundation of our democracy, and newspapers as the extension of our limited senses an integral part of that foundation.

If the Federal Government can save billion-dollar-corporations with billions of dollars of taxpayers' money, it can and should prevent any newspaper as the highest priority from disappearing as the result of our current economic condition.

I live in Fallon, Nevada, which is a community of about 8500 residents. We have a local newspaper that is published three times a week and one, Fallon Star Press, only on Fridays. Next Friday, is Fallon Star Press’s last day and what a shame that is.

[dhertzfe]

Come on people. Wise up. The working class are to blame for the economic melt down and must be punished to pay the price. It never had to do with the corp execs making decisions on how to run their company.

[Witchitalineman]

I assume you are being sarcastic.

[Avenangel]

The Seattle Times Company just laid off around 40 union employees who they first told they were going to get severance pay, but in the end went back on their promise and didn't pay them a cent. The company laid off union employees out of their senority order and a few complained. The company sited "special" skills in skipping employees out of order but these skills were never really fully explained. Three people had the curage to stand up to the company and file a grievance. The company then said that because these three filed a grevance they wouldn't pay the severance that they promised to any of the people being laid off involuntarily. One of these three, not wanting to be the cause of these people not getting their severance pay before Christmas recanted her grievance.

So now the company that lied to the very people they were kicking to the curb two weeks before Christmas is asking for Managers to take a week off without pay. That wouldn't be that hard for the top execs who not too long ago got a bonus. The company refused to change any of these top execs and rewards them with bonuses.

Finally, the irony in all this, is they think they are a strong force in the community. It's like a father who doesn't pay child support saying he's good and responsible person. This is one company that doesn't walk the talk.

[Witchitalineman]

Thanks for your commens. I totally agree.

[OliverTwist]

Companies are seeking to reduce their payroll without having to meet their unemployment responsibilities.

This kind of thing is a scam.

[larry278]

Yes, newspapers are now. They have street cred but they a running short on readers & ads. They are the only source for local news. The local blute thinks for its readers; the local blute decides which local occurances & events are news. You really don't want to read about 90% of 5th graders reading at kindergarten level. Newspapers will recover; won't they?

[macbabe]

sorry... its a feast out there (eastside seattle) for computer consultants, LOTS of work to be done...keep working if it's out there and save for the next famine! ... over a year ago we had a 9 month famine.

[AnnArky]

Yes, my friends, be good citizens and "get used to it. "

[Danny]

When I was in the workforce, I used to day dream about working less and keeping my job and having time off. I would like what is happening now, except that I understand that some of the people being asked to work less and foregoing the pay will be suffering. What I mean to convey is that time is sometimes worth more than money for overstressed workers. If they can keep their job, while getting a break. It was an opportunity never given to me.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

Newspapers, do you want to survive? Go a bit tabloid. Shrink down to the size of a comic book, so I can fold the paper in half and carry it in my back pocket. Include a robust letters to the editor section with a 1,000 or less words limit. Have lots of cartoons throughout the paper. Throw in some sexy pictures, because people love sexy. You sell some sex, so you can print some real news. Have a pet column, a science page, an arts section and include surprise coupons for coffee and donuts. Have a great crossword puzzle. Have a daily raffle: Every paper is numbered and tomorrow one number is drawn and wins $500.00. Also raffle off good restaurant meals. Anyone else care to contribute some ideas?

[JimboSlice]

Porn. Lots and lots of porn.

[TheJibreelaMonsters]

ah, good one young grasshopper

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

You have a lucrative future.

[macbabe]

haven't boughten a newspaper in years, all the news is online.

[stevennnjames]

All the news is online, until all the newspapers go out of business.

Simply put, a good portion of the news will then disappear.

Newspaper companies messed up a long time ago by shoveling all their content online for free, thinking the Internet wouldn't compete with their print product.

They couldn't have made a worse decision.

[GerryS]

Hoppy, some interesting ideas, but you can scratch the raffle idea-- that takes a special license, and most states that have a lottery make it very difficult for a raffle license-- they usually need to be for a not for profit-------------------------------

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

I know, I know, but if all the big banks can cheat, you would think the newspapers could think up something. Well, at least the coffee and donuts giveaway would enroll all the cops, (sorry cousin Rufus).

[buzzygirl]

Will the owners and CEOs be taking a week's pay cut, too? Perhaps they can afford to go without a month's pay instead.

[twokidsonecat]

It's a profit business. No one should take pay cuts, but the owners.