Thursday, May 15, 2008

Breaking: Big USAT job cuts on 'Black Thursday'; controller, other accounting jobs said targeted

Updated at 3:25 p.m. PT: The accounting jobs being cut and consolidated today at six new regional business centers appear targeted at USA Today's circulation operations, rather than Gannett-wide, another reader just told me. Also, this reader gives a lower net job-loss figure -- something I'm trying to resolve.

"USA Today circulation is consolidating its financial functions by going from 17 controllers -- one in each circulation market -- to six regional centers headed by a controller. Other positions were eliminated, also, for a net loss of 16 positions,'' the reader says. "The six regional centers are Atlanta, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Minneapolis and Seattle. The 17 circulation markets are: Boston, New York, Buffalo/Pittsburgh, Philadelphia/New Jersey, Washington/Baltimore, Carolinas, Atlanta, Florida, Texas, Cincinnati, St. Louis/Kansas City, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis/Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco/Seattle."

Earlier: On the heels of reported job cuts at TV stations, a reader just told me pink slips also were given today to employees in Gannett accounting departments. My quick take: It appears GCI is now rolling out another unannounced round of work consolidation amid the ongoing restructuring. Previous steps included establishing regional customer service call centers, plus central photo toning operations.

Today's moves, the reader's note shows, suggest the company is now targeting more-senior positions, such as controllers. These cuts would follow Friday's buyout offer to 166 staffers at five New Jersey papers.

On the accounting side, the reader says, Gannett has established six new business centers across the country and has consolidated all business operations into these sites. "Accounting department employees who had jobs at locations that were not being used as business centers were let go,'' the reader says. "By my estimates, approximately 60 jobs were eliminated, including 13 controller positions. The rest of the eliminations were from clerical staff. It was very difficult seeing all these people let go at the same time in my office. Even worse, the remaining staff is stuck wondering if they are next. As a current Gannett employee I appreciate the information in your blog. I'll keep you posted on the fallout from Black Thursday."

Note: I'll update well into the night, as developments warrant.

Urgent call to all readers: What do you know? Leave a note, in the comments section, below. Or use this link to e-mail your reply; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.

9 comments:

  1. I'd love to see someone in accounting give Dubow a nice pink slip on his ass.

    When this is over, and it will end, hell will have to be paid.

    None of this is about bankruptcy or near to. They want a return to higher profit margins...so forget this different business model nonsense.

    They would outsource breast feeding if they could get away with it.

    Black day...for the green day.

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  2. Before I die. Let me see Gannett go bankrupt.

    Manna from Heaven.

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  3. It's possible that circulation departments will take a hit today, too. No matter what, I'll be updating into the wee hours.

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  4. Push for unionization in all departments. Have a sickout. Show the bastards who counts.

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  5. They would love a sickout, think of all the money they would save if they didn't have to pay all the nonexempt employees in the company for one day. The content in the paper and the websites would not change that much, because it is pretty bad anyway.

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  6. Does anyone know who was let go?

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  7. It is about time, there are so much fats that need to be cut. It is interesting to see how the selection was made to eliminate these Controllers. Just read my lips, more of this is going to take place in the near future, it is not the begining and it is not going to be the end either.

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  8. It’s not just the newspaper that is being affected, the broadcast group is losing people as well. They are centralizing graphics and starting regional master control monitoring centers. They are also looking at possibly consolidating accounting functions as well. It’s amazing how long it’s taken the country’s largest publishing company to do what other media companies did years ago. Louge is turning Gannett into more of a Belo structured company.

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  9. They need to get rid of the wire service. It sucks and nobody's using it. Waste of space.

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