Saturday, January 31, 2009

Saturday | Jan. 31 | Your News & Comments

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45 comments:

  1. Take a day off, man!

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  2. Hmmm I had to call someone today that was on timeoff....but it was not off time until midnight on Sunday night, right?.....well he hung up on me...I called about a product which he had sent down the night before, and it was wrong and defaulted........guess it won't be printed and we lose the $5000 for this period....................way to go team! Great Job!!! Thank God it's cold out maybe nobody will notice!!

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  3. $5.77


    “Professionals built the Titanic, amateurs the built the ark”

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  4. Did that guy that was claiming he got poisoned and lost everything in his life while working for Gannett ever file a lawsuit? And if so what was the outcome? Maybe what he did or got might be of some help for other's trying to follow the same avenue

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  5. Posted on Ashvegas.squarespace.com:

    For those left at the Citizen-Times, be careful of accepting a position (if offered) in Greenville "when" they do merge. The pressmen that took positions in Greenville are very sorry they did. Big mistake. They are often told they are "not pulling their weight"...and they have to "step it up." They now wish they had taken the severance package. Gannett is looking for ways to fire instead of lay-off. Remember if you start a new position, it gives them a 90 day window to let you go.

    Watch your back!

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  6. Or if you work for Gannett Take 5!

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  7. NYT story on rising lawsuits involving workers laid off:
    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/31/business/economy/31employ.html?_r=1&hp

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  8. And if Jim takes a well deserved day off, please remember to make a contribution to this much needed blog to keep it going! Great job, Jim!!!

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  9. Hey, how many of you were forced to stop working early yesterday afternoon because of a network failure due to Dubrow's webcast? His waste-of-time of a "meeting" wasted a lot of our time. But hey, it's his dime, right?

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  10. Interesting use of "they" here from Dubow. I thought "we" were all in this together:

    "One other note regarding USA Today; they are in the process of changing the business model for the international edition."

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  11. Remember if you start a new position, it gives them a 90 day window to let you go.

    Watch your back!

    1/31/2009 8:02 AM

    They've been doing this since before 4Q last year. Smaller sites that can ill afford to lose headcount still have to cut payroll. This one way in which they can do it.

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  12. No real discussion regarding the dog and pony show broadcast yesterday. Tara is an idiot and the fake we feel your pain was insulting.

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  13. Tara can't help it. She was born that way. Her mother saw her future and named her after the mansion in Gone with the Wind: i.e. the equivalent of a brick wall.

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  14. Hey Jim - you must feel flattered. Gannett just created a blog about regional IBM layoffs up here...

    http://gannett.com/go/newswatch/2008/oct/nw1023-2.htm

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  15. Oh barf, I just read the info about the IBM blog. "Because of IBM’s varied workforce, number of retirees, etc., the blog also directly targets the four new key audiences -- baby boomers, women 25-54, young professionals and upscale readers."

    The four new key audiences that don't give a rat's ass about newspapers or our slow as sin Web sites?

    "Contributions include anything IBM-related -- breaking news, briefs, stories, crowd-sourcing appeals, personnel announcements, etc. The capabilities of Pluck make postings easy and efficient."

    Capabilities of Pluck? What the Pluck? It's cumbersome and irritating, and that's its good qualities.

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  16. I wrote a comment this morning about Asbury. Why hasn't it been posted?

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  17. I just sent in $5 to keep the Gannett Blog alive. You go, Jim!

    Elect GCI low-level workers to the Board of Directors.

    -- ClarkKentGannett@aol.com

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  18. Write it again (Asbury) !

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  19. What's going on in Asubry?

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  20. Does anyone know how many shares of Gannett stock you have to own to be considered a shareholder in order to attend the shareholder meeting? Is it as little as one share or do you need to own one hundred shares?

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  21. 12:38 PM: "Hey Jim - you must feel flattered. Gannett just created a blog about regional IBM layoffs up here..."

    "Just created"? Check the date, dude ... that article's been up since October. The blog was active for a while before that.

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  22. What happened to all of the new bidness Dickey drummed up playing golf?

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  23. Anonymous said...
    What happened to all of the new bidness Dickey drummed up playing golf?

    1/31/2009 2:20 PM

    None of them have an advertising budget.

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  24. I have found that, sometimes, if you cut ana paste a comment it doesn't post. (May have something to do with how the browser works with the blogging sotware.)

    Always check the top of the page for the notice that it has gone through and the comments window. If your comment is still in the window, type in the word verification again.

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  25. What's going on in Asbury - please re-post!!! Thx

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  26. Jim Kroeze to the Rescue!

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  27. That IBM layoff blog shows how tone deaf and hopeless these guys are with new technology. No. 1, it looks horrible. Purple-brown with lousy graphics. No.2 There is no response from IBM workers that I saw. It is top-down, with no effort to solicit input from readers. It looks unread.

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  28. What's the word on another possible furlough mandate?

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  29. I have a question. What kind of manager takes off the week before the company announces record losses to play in a week long golf tournament? Shouldn't he be working night and day to develop new ideas to get us moving again? What am I missing? Sure would want to be in a sinking boat with...

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  30. Jack Roth to the Rescue!

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  31. True Leaders ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY for their organization's performance - whether a government, an army or a business.

    Weak-Will hacks fill their pockets and deflect attention (see ex-Gov. Blogejovich) in clumsy hack-politician-like ways while they fill their pockets and say F*ck everyone else.
    ***********************************

    Craig Dudow took over as "Head" of GANNETT on July 15, 2005.

    On July 15, 2005:
    GANNETT'S STOCK = $71.94 Per Share
    MARKET VALUE = $16,410,952,800.00

    -----------------------------------
    It has been 1,295 Days since Craig became captain of the S.S. GANNETT.
    -----------------------------------

    YESTERDAY'S STOCK PRICE 01-30-2009
    = $5.77 Per Share
    MARKET VALUE = $1,316,252,400.00
    ***********************************

    Gannett has LOST $15.095 BILLION in Market Value since Dubow took over 3 YEARS AND 6 MONTHS AGO:

    $355.512 Million Per Month
    $81.92 Million Per Week
    $11.65 Million PER DAY
    $485,672 PER HOUR
    $8,094 PER MINUTE
    **********************************

    $10,000 Invested in GANNETT the day Dubow took over equals $802.06 TODAY.

    **********************************

    The shareholders must be masocists. (sorry for spelling). Stupid Motherf*ckers.

    Dubow.....Madoff....Blogeovich.....SAME CLOTH.

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  32. Gannett rarely abandons an idea that works. I work think more furloughs are in our future.

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  33. What a jerkoff How could any company keep him around??

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  34. Good evening Jim and fellow Gannett Blog readers. This is a re-write of what I unsuccessfully tried to post this morning. Basically what I wrote was:

    On January 26 Asbury Park launched the "new" AdTracker system and revamped ad building to utilize InDesign CS3 instead of MultiAd. Everyone has been putting in a lot of overtime and working very hard to make this work. Especially the ADS department. ADS Techs, tech support, our immediate managers, along with the people from DPS, have all been doing "diehards". Of course only a choice few will get recognized for their "above and beyond" efforts. (Standard teacher's pet mentality).
    I would like to say that the ADS department is a group of hardworking dedicated people. We are what is left from all the cutbacks and we are making the best of a bad situation.
    But here is the kick in the teeth...
    I for one, used to feel good about putting in the overtime when needed. Not only because of the extra $$$ in my paycheck, but also the good feeling you get when you go the extra mile and it is appreciated. Call it pride. Now it seems like our efforts are all for nothing. We were all scheduled to have our furlough weeks (which sucks), and there is rumor that there will be more furloughs and even layoffs. The difference in this wave of overtime is the sheer panic in people's faces. Stress levels are high. My co-workers and I are jumping through hoops... but how will we really be repaid for altering our personal lives, more time away from our kids/spouses, and less sleep? Worrying about being let go is taking it's toll on many of us.
    I have a suggestion. This is directed to J Murphy. Instead of "thanking us" with pizza or Gannett shirts... how about a nice letter written and signed by you and upper management stating our contributions and how fortunate Gannett is to have us on their "team". Why do I want this? Well, lets face it. Joe has no say on what happens next. This is something he could do for us that will look good with our resumes if we need to use them in the near future.
    So many great people have been cut. Gannet will only confirm your employment with the company when calls are made for references. Managers and bosses are not permitted to write recommedations for former employees. So if any of us gets cut due to not fault of our own, we at least have a nice CURRENT letter to show exactly what kind of employee we are.
    It's just a thought... just to make a bad situation a little more tolerable. If that's even possible.
    Also, it would be nice if VP of Production Jack Roth actually came into our department and talked to ANY of us to get a "real world" idea of what is happening in his own department. It seems he just does not give a shit. Why does that NOT surprise me?

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  35. 8:34,

    Yes, it would be nice to have compliments in writing.

    But they also make great evidence in a wrongful dismissal suit. Management won't let such a document be produced.

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  36. To Asbury: Westchester here: Make an appointment with HR and request copies of your past performance reviews.

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  37. 8:34

    All of your words are great and all of the worker-type folks are wonderful.

    The company sucks. F-em at every opportunity. Gannett does seem to thrive on people getting screwed. Help out Gannett by throwing s-it back in their face. It does appear to help them. Go figure...

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  38. 1/31/2009 8:32 PM

    You have some issues....I can tell you are from NJ.....you always say jerk off this jerk off that...... moron! : )

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  39. 8:34 PM...
    Are you F'N kidding me !!!
    Do you think your the only one's going thru this?
    You guy's are atleast getting something for your so called HARD WORK,it might be pizza,or shirt's but it's something.
    And if I recall several of you have been nominated here recentley,and throughout the year and have won the quarterly awards.(some more then once)
    That's alot more then others working just as hard and if not harder then you are getting.
    What I don't get is, If ad revenue is down that means there is less ads to create so why do you have to put in OT?
    Just suck it up and realize your not the only one's,And with attitude's like your's now I understand why people think the way they do about each other..

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  40. 8:34,

    Ask for and get copies of your personnel evaluations for the last few years. At my shop, you have to sign 'em, so you should be able to get a copy.

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  41. 8:34 PM -- " Managers and bosses are not permitted to write recommedations for former employees."

    I don't know about other managers but I've written several recommendations for former employees. I've never been told not to, and until then, I will continue writing them for employees that deserve one.

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  42. Why is it the most depressed, angry notes are from New Jersey?

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  43. 11:08: I've been meaning to post on this, since the anger/unhappiness from the six New Jersey papers probably seems odd to new readers here.

    First, bear in mind that comments here are written by 3-4% of the blog's visitors. That said, my impression is that management and employees at those papers are among the most abused within Gannett.

    Hourly employees, especially, still seem to be working in a corporate culture held over from the Robert Collins era.

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  44. OK JUST FOR A CHANGE OF PACE:
    GO STEELERS!!!! WE HAVE ONE FOR THE THUMB NOW WE NEED 6 A-ROONEY

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  45. ARIZONA CARDINALS FTW!!!

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Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."

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