Sunday, March 29, 2009

Sunday | March 29 | Your News & Comments

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49 comments:

  1. does anybody really care anymore?

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  2. I almost don't care either.
    almost.

    My gut, and a few "other things". Tell me that there will be a substantial layoff in April.

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  3. From The Guardian: Consolidation won't save the media

    "Allowing a few big companies to swallow up local newspapers created journalism's problems. More of the same can't solve them."

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  4. Jim, you really should post this as a separate entry:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kvEgeC-nAk

    "Saving Newspapers: The Musical"!

    Ironically, my verification word is "bosem"!!!!

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  5. Funny thing about the "Kool-aid" some people believe they have a future with gannett without any celebral pain!

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  6. Hey, 3:16, what's "celebral" mean?

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  7. latest about our illustrious circ. leader. To turn us into the nearest competition by taking the single copy contractors we have now and giving "regions" to one and let them hire out. Also now, along with raping the county of racks, he's wanting to eliminate so called "mom and pop" stores (there aren't any more of those are they?).This guy's doing nothing but cutting SC's sales numbers. I thought we were in this business to SELL papers? What am I missing? The paper he's trying to emulate has been going down the tubes for years. Why would we want to copy them? Come on Gannett. Do you really have your heads buried somewhere?

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  8. Jim:
    You should start a drive,Where everyone mails you atleast 1 pkg of " Kool Aide" and once you reach a certain amount (goal) You pack it all up in 1 big box and mail it to corporate,since times are tough I bet there supply is running low

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  9. IN ROCHESTER WE USED TO HAVE "VACATIONS", THEN IT BECAME "STAY-CATIONS",NOW WE HAVE " FURLOUGH-CATIONS" .... AND NO PLACE TO GO!

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  10. Do a "Furlough House Swap" on your "Furlough-cation".....

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  11. Stop whinning....In Rochester at least you have a job!! I was let go back in December so some over paid VP could get his end of year bonus.

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  12. Just a question to those who were laid off in August in Wisconsin (if any read here).

    WI has tiers of exended benefits, and I'm coming close to the end of my first 26 weeks. (I was a September cut.)

    Have there been any problems with the August cutee's with recieving the extended benefits? Or have you all found jobs since? I'm just curious as to any delays or potential problems, as I've been unable to find anything yet.

    Thank you in advance for any information regarding this.

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  13. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  14. "IN ROCHESTER WE USED TO HAVE "VACATIONS", THEN IT BECAME "STAY-CATIONS",NOW WE HAVE " FURLOUGH-CATIONS" .... AND NO PLACE TO GO!"

    Another retard.

    Not funny, dumbfuck. Also, press the Shift key the next time you decide to show the rest of the world how stupid you are.

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  15. Lets mail "koolaide" packs to corporate as a protest to all the bs going on

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  16. There was a corporate conference call with H.R. managers regarding how insurance costs were going to be billed. The upshot is that you will be billed at what you were EXPECTED to make, not what you actually made.

    I believe this is illegal and against past practice of the company. President rings aren't awarded on the Plan numbers, after all. Actual numbers drive awards, not woulda coulda shoulda numbers.

    Right now, employees who are as little as $100 over the threshold pay roughly $30 more per month for health insurance. For instance: I make $60,100 annually, and the day I got my raise last year, my health insurance went from $170 a month to $200.

    The 4% raise I earned grossed me $2312 additional, going into the new insurance bracket took $240 back. I understand why that is, and I accept it.

    But now, I'm told the company is taking back (through furlough) 3.84% of my salary, with the expectation/threat that it turn into 5.77% or 7.69% if more is needed.

    I understand that as well. Hate it, but understand it.

    But if I'm going to be expecting less in my bank account by the end of the year, I should not be billed at the higher insurance bracket. Yes, it's only $240 for me. But that same bracket jump affects people at the $25,000 level too - people who really do live hand to mouth. People at my paper.

    Gannett is self-insured. Though there is an administrator, Gannett corporate chooses how things are run. There's no middleman for them to hide behind.

    How is this decision legal? Consider commissioned salespeople. Are their benefit costs based on last month's salary plus commission? Of course not. Their costs are based on an average level of compensation. Some months they lose, sometimes they win big. But salespeople know this going in. There is risk and reward in sales jobs.

    My field, I bust my ass, earn a 4% raise each year and make more money for the company than I cost. Now I see that I get no raise this year plus I've lost 3.84% of my salary already. And like everyone, I have the threat of job elimination hanging over me.

    All I ask is that either we get charged for our insurance at our actual salary rate - or that enrollment is opened so we can change to a cheaper plan.

    Yes, I shoulda grossed $60,100 this year. I woulda dealt with $59,860 left after my insurance jump. But I coulda not believe that making $57,792 this year earned me the honor of the $60k+ insurance rate.

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  17. I hear that management is scheduling the furloughs for the
    employees. This is absolute B.S.
    If it is a week without pay then that work you are not working for Gannett so schedule the time off when you want, not what is convenient for management.

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  18. What's with the disabled-bashing?

    You're doing a fine job of showing your intellect every time you call someone a "retard."

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  19. You seriously want to treat the furlough as a benefit, and schedule it like a vacation?

    With the early months, we could be flexible and ask for preferences on furlough. The way vacations run the next three months, it would be nearly impossible to make accommodations for vacations and furlough in a timely manner.

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  20. has anybody had problems with employees and furlough guidelines?

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  21. 3.16 OOps I meant ........funny thing about the "kool- aid", some people believe that they have a future with Gannett without any cerebral pain!

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  22. 2.38 I agree and think that by big corporations buying up all the small papers that they sterilized the investigative reporting and that benefited the rich otherwise maybe the public would of known about the current big financial collapse earlier before it happened. I really hope they all collapse and local newspapers thrive again. Autonomy is better than a major company dictating the quality or quantity of investigative reporting. Gannett treats their reporters and all employees like crap and that's why they leave and that's why all their papers are nothing but "Fluff" in content. I would buy any paper that digs deep into the root of the issue with good content!

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  23. "NEW JERSEY ROCKS"
    HAS ANYONE LOOKED AT THE GANNETT STOCK PRICE LATLEY ?ITS UP 40% FROM THE LOW AND I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD BE LOADING UP ON SHARES THIS COMING WEEK .IT WILL BE AT $3.OO BY THE END OF THIS WEEK AND I CAN THEN RETIRE !WOW WHAT A THOUGHT!

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  24. Hey 1:03 - re insurance costs. I'm in the same boat, but I cover my family, so the price difference for me is like $200/week. I called HR to complain. They said they called corporate and I was told that I was the only person in the entire company who brought up this issue. Have you called HR to complain? Have you taken it to corporate? Maybe if enough of us in this situation make a stink they will consider doing something about it? (Ha!)

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  25. Struggling newspapers should be allowed to operate as nonprofits similar to public broadcasting stations, Sen. Benjamin Cardin, D-Md., proposed Tuesday.

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  26. Hey NJ Rocks. $3.00 can buy you a special kind of "cool aid." Bottoms up!!!!!!!LOL

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  27. Twitter was just mentioned on the Nascar race..sounds like they have some kind of deal sighned with Nascar

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  28. Guys, I would like to respond to this post yesterday with some hard facts:

    ***************
    Oh one more thing 2.53- "things are looking up!" Oh really so ganett won't be looking to evermore downsize and lay-off anymore people?

    answer:
    More people will be laid off but we do not see it on a wide scale as it was with the 10% cut we had to make last year.

    Gannett won't downgrade people reviews anymore so they don't have to payout measley raises?

    Answer:
    Raises will be limited still. Things are looking up but the good times are not back yet. We have more work to do to get there. However, we do not lower review ratings to keep raises lower, we will lower the amount given for specific ratings. For example: A 5 rating may only get you 2 to 3 percent but we will not lower your rating.


    Gannett won't systematically try to break anymore unions backs after they buy up "ma and pa" papers and drain the money and blood out of them like a souless vampyre?

    Answer:
    We continue to negotiate with unions in a legal and respectable manor.

    Gannett now will unfreeze our pensions and put more money into them?

    The pension changes are permanent. We now give more to 401K matches. However you continue to get cost of living in your pensions. People tend to focus on the cuts and that is natural. But, you should also think about where we have not cut. We still match your 401k, we gave severance to laid off workers, and we have tried furloughs instead of laying off more workers. I know to a laid off worker this means little to nothing but we have done what we could where we were able. Tough times call for tough decisions. No one likes to make these tough calls but they have to be made.

    Gannett will pay out the dividend again proudly?

    Answer:
    We continue to pay a dividend. Its a lot lower then it used to be but we do still pay one. I think most would agree that for now we should focus on paying down debt. Surely you would rather keep more workers then pay out more dividend?

    Gannett will start giving yearly raises in sync with the goliath bonuses that the board and ceo get in thier contracts?

    Answer:
    Everyone's bonuses and raises will be lower as we try to move through these tough times. Things are looking up but we still have far to go.

    Gannett won't try to dismantle union contracts? I could go on forever!!

    Answer:
    Same as above.

    Gannett will actually start caring and respaecting its employees?

    Answer:
    Gannett had to make some tough decisions in order to stay in businesses. All companies make tough decisions. Often they affect employees in bad ways. That doesn't mean that we don't have to make those decisions. It can be tough. No one likes laying off a worker, or cutting a newspaper's budget, or any of the other tough actions that had to be made lately, but they had to be made. We did what we could to lesson the blow. Severances were used when we could and other cuts rather then job cuts were used when we could. I know its hard to believe but Gannett does care about their employees.

    Is this whwt you mean when you say "Things are looking up?" Hello 2.53, when was the last time you seen your proctoligist? He should twist your head out of your ass!

    3/28/2009 5:39 PM

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  29. There has to be a graphic artist out there that can come up with an ad campaign for “Kool-Aid” drinkers. It would be great! We could have web and print design. It could be the next Gannett ad comeptition. Anybody game?

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  30. While the artist is designing the kool aid logo don't forget the Lemming logo for the dufuses that still believe Unions can do something fo rthem, they are smarter than every manager in the company,that they have a freaking clue how to run a business and .....wait for it.... they are going to show the company whats what by calling in sick! Yep we need that logo too.

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  31. I've decided this is your assignment because you have so much passion and interest in the subject. I know you will do great!

    How's that for Gannett delegating!

    While the artist is designing the kool aid logo don't forget the Lemming logo for the dufuses that still believe Unions can do something fo rthem, they are smarter than every manager in the company,that they have a freaking clue how to run a business and .....wait for it.... they are going to show the company whats what by calling in sick! Yep we need that logo too.

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  32. For those who can't afford to send money, you could support this blog by visiting its advertisers.

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  33. wow 5.23 is the company rep. getting back to my answers!.........Did you notice he didn't address the "CEO's" bonuses!

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  34. The companies trolls are out in force today!!!!!! Well HA ha, we just voted to "NOT" take the furloughs in phoenix. We sacrificed enough! When you belong to an union you can do this you see. Also even the "CEO's" have contracts they just don't want you "little people" to collectively have one. Think about that people.

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  35. Craig Dubow gets 19 million dollars total salary over past three years! Top five people have made 30 million over the past five years! Just go to Gannett's website and look at the "Proxy report". And they want to have everyone across the board take a furlough..................sounds fair! Hate to see him lose his 30 million dollar pension if he has to leave!

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  36. oops, I mean the top 5 people over the past three years have totaled over 30 million in salary! Check for yourself about their "golden perks and Parachutes and pension"! http://www.gannett.com/investor/2009proxymaterials/proxystatement09.htm

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  37. Dubow is a turd.

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  38. I am tired of the all the newsroom ex-employees and current employees sitting on their high-horse bashing everyone on grammer and the 1st amendment. I understand and support the first amendment but a few of the arrogant dumb asses are giving all of the other news people a bad rap. Every employee has a value and contributes in many ways and that is why they are employees. Some just contributes more than others. Gannett is stripping away many good employees and that is what is sad about this company that I work for. Just be glad that you are employed during this economic crisis and instead of complaining, try to improve your site in one way or another.

    Sincerely,
    Beancounter

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  39. GM CEO is out - maybe this will become contagious just like furloughs, layoff and other cuts have become contagious in American business.

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  40. 1:03 p.m.
    My field, I bust my ass, earn a 4% raise each year and make more money for the company than I cost. Now I see that I get no raise this year plus I've lost 3.84% of my salary already. And like everyone, I have the threat of job elimination hanging over me.

    4% raise? I want a transfer to whereever you work!!

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  41. When a sports team fails, the manager is the one usually fired. When the losing team on The Apprentice goes to face judgment before The Donald, it's the team leader who's usually fired. At failing corporations, the board often forces the CEO to resign gracefully rather than subject him to a public firing. How much longer is the board going to wait before dumping this loser Dubow? We've seen him plenty long enough to see what an empty suit he is. Time to hire someone from outside of Gannett, clean house and break up the chain!

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  42. Second that 8:17. Standard raise in Gannett is 3% and in past year we were told 2% was the going rate. Geez!

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  43. 1:03
    I would call HR about this, but I got the boot last year, so I can't help. I feel you are correct and your rates should be dropped.

    This brings up another question about legality...My Cobra rates were based on my salary when I was working, and not the salary I make now...Nothing? How can that be legal?

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  44. Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin building looked great with the plywood and closed signs on the doors!

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  45. The excuse I always liked (NOT) was "Well, you make more money than a lot of people so you get a smaller percentage raise".

    Nice verification word this time:
    ventsm

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  46. I have never not gotten an annual raise in the entire time I've worked for Gannett. I've gotten several raises over and above the usual alottment, and it made me work all the harder.
    If I don't get a raise this year, I guess I don't need to work any harder? Just smarter?

    My verification word? herses.

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  47. This is going to take more than one or two people calling HR about the Cobra thing. We ARE self insured and I'd be very surprised if this billing process is legal in light of the lowered salaries. Just as someone said, if a salary went to $40,001 and put you over a threshold, your contribution went up. Why shouldn't it go down if you dip below with furloughs and pay reductions.
    Maybe we need to get a labor lawyer to look at this.

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  48. For the bloggers and readers delight; I have decided to post my saturday full comment in which< the kool-aid drunk, posted answers to my post. Funny must be corporate Public relations! Don't worry troops......"Craigie to the rescue!"
    Oh one more thing 2.53- "things are looking up!" Oh really so ganett won't be looking to evermore downsize and lay-off anymore people? Gannett won't downgrade people reviews anymore so they don't have to payout measley raises? Gannett won't systematically try to break anymore unions backs after they buy up "ma and pa" papers and drain the money and blood out of them like a souless vampyre? Gannett now will unfreeze our pensions and put more money into them? Gannett will pay out the dividend again proudly? Gannett will start giving yearly raises in sync with the goliath bonuses that the board and ceo get in thier contracts? Gannett won't try to dismantle union contracts? I could go on forever!! Gannett will actually start caring and respecting its employees? Is this what you mean when you say "Things are looking up?" Hello 2.53, when was the last time you seen your proctologist?
    He should twist your head out of your ass!

    3/28/2009 5:39 PM

    Yes Craigie, there is a santa claus in YOUR contract!

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  49. 817p -103 here, I've not gotten less than a 3.5% raise in my last ten years, and mostly 4's. I've had four different supervisors, six different publishers and part of that time was with Thomson.

    I know I'll incur the wrath of the name-callers, but I've always liked my job and I always say 'yes' to a request for assistance from any department in the building. My job isn't in the public eye, but if I can help my community by busting my butt for my paper, I do it. And the rewards have followed... until this year.

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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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