Referring to Arizona Republic Executive Editor Randy Lovely, and a series of layoff meetings today with employees, Anonymous@7:36 p.m. says the company developing the packages is 'working through the weekend.'"
Updated at 9 p.m.: I've now confirmed the outsourcing news, through a second employee who also attended one of these meetings with Lovely. It sounds like this contract with an outside vendor is a Gannett-wide deal -- but I'm not certain. @7:36's full comment:
Don't know if managers were really blindsided by this or they lied to us. Randy told The Arizona Republic folks he was surprised by the speed of this round. They weren't accepting voluntary layoffs because they want to control who stays and who goes. He said they don't know the specifics of the severance terms yet because that part of the process has been outsourced and the company developing the packages is "working through the weekend," and they hope to know by Monday what the terms will be. He went on to say the firing process would be delayed if they didn't have severance packages in place before hand.
He said the Arizona Republic is still profitable, not as profitable as it used to be, but still in the black. That Gannett needs to keep the profits up to pay down the company's giant debt.
Can anyone confirm -- and add details? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
18 comments:
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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Lovely.
ReplyDeleteSoooooo. Wonder if I can outsource last eight days of Gannett Blog?
ReplyDeleteNice. So this company is so fucked up that it's still not prepared for the layoffs that it's been planning for more than a month.
ReplyDeleteSo fucked up, in fact, that it can't even report severance terms to employees who are already stressed to the max.
Sorry for the profanity, but it seems the only way to express what's going on here. I hope Wall Street analysts and investors read this post, as it demonstrates just how mismanaged this company is.
Oddly enough, it didn't outsource executive bonuses during these trying financial times.
So, Gannett took itself by surprise by layoffs? Or, knew about the layoffs then took itself by surprise about implementing? Or, is actually laying off so many people the internal structure can't handle all of them? And instead of a planned process decided to spend money on an outside company and take them by surprise?
ReplyDeleteSurprise! (Why doesn't this surprise me?) Just a minute... Surprise! Nope, still didn't.
Yes, I can confirm it's easy to blindside managers at The Arizona Republic. Did a senior Manager at at company honestly say he was surprised in any way about a process that effects the lives of employees? His employees!
ReplyDeleteHow can Lovely maintain he was blindsided, when reports of this layoff have been circulating for at least a month.
ReplyDeletePlease do.
ReplyDeleteAs Johnny Fever (WKRP in Cincinnati) would say, this is deeply weird.
ReplyDeleteThe pressure is on here in Phoenix. Managers are quite vexed over what Gannett wants and tempers are short. Very professional I might add. But Gannett does this to people. It makes no sense unless the whole point is to save the "Crystal Tower" and USA Today. Then you begin to get the idea. I really can't see Gannett surviving much longer, I mean, bleeding everything to save the name.
ReplyDeleteOk Lovely states: "Arizona Republic is still profitable" well just how profitable. Does anyone KNOW!!!!
ReplyDeleteWait just a minute, yes Az Republic is profitable but they didn't become profitable as the result of current management! Their profits are dwindling as the result of current management. Top heavy management ranks who've been protecting their jobs at the expense of the worker bees who come in contact with the public will eventually be seen for what it is. VP's, a Senior VP, Editor who was "surprised" by layoffs he was administering while explaining the paper was profitable. A new Sr VP who's taken credit for introducing a slew of glossy magazines that don't exist anymore (and gone are many ad dollars moved to those magazines under the pitch of a better, more targeted product than the paper). An entire Marketing department who from upper management has openly preferred online to print ("it's the future"). But, there's some really good people in Phoenix who continue to take care of clients and readers, sometimes at the risk of their own jobs. Profitable? Gannett and senior management will fix that!
ReplyDeleteIs the obvious not true? Lovely is LYING about being taken by surprise about the outsourcing.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe for a second the managers were blindsided about layoffs. They knew.
ReplyDeleteI find it a bit ironic that they've had to outsource for severance packages.
By the time I was laid off, I'd been subjected to so much stress and treated so differently by upper management I was actually relieved when I saw my extension light up from the CM.
They know months in advance, trust me.
Phoenix: 2 Union Machinist & 2 Union Electricians to be laid off.
ReplyDeleteThis may be brought down to 1 each because of others retiring but this is an unknown. As per board posting each shop will loose 2 people.
I am a dummy and I knew lay offs were coming. Sure, I'm a total pessimist - but how retarded do you have to be to not know? The last couple days have been all about being "cube gophers" and popping up to see what is going on. Rip the bandaid off already! I've boasted of being able to read faces and I can almost say who will be cut by saying "hello" to management. I look around and see so many ways to save money, but it's not about what I have to say. I'm a peon. The only person that has been real in all of this is Jeff Anderson. You can see the pain and stress in his face when you say hello. He wants to save this place. It's amazing to see that much passion in this shit. He will do it. Eventually. If I lose my gig, I'll land on my feet. We were told that our department would be hit "minimally." We're all so close that even one hit is enough. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteMy unexperienced manager is unexperienced at telling a lie. He is caught in them all the time. And he is a favorites type. He said over beers once, "I go by if I lke someone or not. Not by their performance. For example, if I don't like you, I don't want to do business with you."
ReplyDeleteNow, he supposedly has all these people that he likes as a friend working for him and they all hate him because he is forced to be an ass to them to save himself. What an idiot.
Wonder if I can outsource looking for a new job? LOL!
ReplyDeleteZidich on vacation how ironic!!!! Randy says it is not based upon performance!!!!! Barbara say's it is!!!!! What a joke!!!!! Gannett should really look at the people that really need to be let go like some of the stupidvisors that don't know shit and rely on the people below them!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck to all and remember stay away from f'updcentral and stupid12. Cheers!!!!!!
ReplyDelete