[Updated at 10:50 a.m. ET.] A Gannett Blogger says up to six advertising artists got notice this week at The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, Calif. -- the latest related to the continued build out of the two Gannett Production Centers in Des Moines and Indianapolis.
These bring to 36 the number of estimated job cuts at six sites so far in this quarter. (Spreadsheet tracks site-by-site cuts.)
Also this quarter, six sites have disclosed wage freezes. (Spreadsheet.)
Gannett ended 2010 with 32,600 employees worldwide.
Earlier: During the first quarter, an estimated 277 jobs were eliminated at 30 sites.
These bring to 36 the number of estimated job cuts at six sites so far in this quarter. (Spreadsheet tracks site-by-site cuts.)
Also this quarter, six sites have disclosed wage freezes. (Spreadsheet.)
Gannett ended 2010 with 32,600 employees worldwide.
Earlier: During the first quarter, an estimated 277 jobs were eliminated at 30 sites.
In an e-mail from one of the U.S. newspapers, a reader tells me:
ReplyDelete"I wanted to let you know about an announcement we received on Thursday here in [XXXXX] regarding the way raises will be handled from now on in the [XXXXX] region of Gannett. We were told that the raises will no longer be given at the anniversary date when they perform our yearly evaluation, but instead at the end of the second quarter. They will not prorate our raises to correspond with our anniversary date. This means we get to coast through the rest of this quarter without showing any raises on our books."
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ReplyDeleteThe EE at paywall-only Tallahassee (-9 jobs) is the same one that used to be the overlord here in Asheville (-9 jobs).
ReplyDeleteCoinciDENSE?
Good work, Jimbo. You fixed your egregious mistake and then removed the reference to it.
ReplyDeleteThat's unethical, you know. It's called scrubbing.
Regarding 4:18's comment about an "egregious" mistake, here's the text as it originally appeared:
ReplyDelete"Also, a reader says the smaller dailies in the Media Network of Central Ohio (MNCO), a group of 10 smaller dailies."
I never scrub factual errors. I add new text, then strike through incorrect text, so readers can still see the original error.
I do this on all posts -- including ones like this, where I'm constantly rewriting with new information, always indicated with an "[Updated at line]."
Also, I remove comments -- such as the one at 1:29 -- for reasons that include their being off-topic or factually incorrect.
Folks, just keep in mind that all of this position cutting, extra-duty handling, pay-freezing is all being done for the greater good of the company, OK? Once Gannett's transition is complete, those remaining will be rewarded and then some for their sacrifice.
ReplyDeleteThat's because CD and his handpicked few will be the only ones left ...
Jim took the bait! He reposted the original, erroneous information!
ReplyDeleteSomeone here owes me money. Jim is too predictable.
Okay, but nobody is talking about the three cuts at APP. Normally that would make news but guess nobody cares about NJ.
ReplyDelete9:14...maybe that is because nobody has a clue of what APP is.
ReplyDeleteAt the MNCO site where I work, the announcement April 28 was not called a wage freeze. We were told that merit raises, when awarded, would be applied in the last month of each quarter for all employees with anniversary dates in that quarter receiving a merit raise. The pool for merit raises was described as small. I understood this to be company-wide, but that apparently is not the case.
ReplyDelete9:14 I've added the Asbury Park Press newspaper to this list.
ReplyDelete86 properties and only 5 have layoffs? Wow, that is good news.
ReplyDeleteWhat jobs were effected from this current layoff?
ReplyDelete1. More, bigger employment cuts are coming!
ReplyDelete11:27 Somehow -- and I really don't know how -- I knew that would happen. Thanks again for the heads up.
ReplyDeleteMore job cuts about to happen in the South Group! Starting first with eliminating vacancies, particularly in news, then going to the layoff lists. Don't look for any announcements; just quiet trims here and there. On the sales side, look for more PIPs for folks not hitting goal, particularly digital, or rapid trigger-pulling on those who were already on PIPs (whether they were making progress or not) so savings can be realized.
ReplyDelete11:49 who belongs to the south group?
ReplyDelete11:49 Note: PIPs are performance improvement plans. PIPs generally are 90-day written warnings to shape up, or get fired.
ReplyDelete11:49 here. Not all PIPs are 90 days. Many have trigger points at 30-, 60- and 90-days. If the manager fails to see improvement at some of those benchmarks, if so written, they can pull trigger.
ReplyDeleteSouth is all the papers in Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi and Alabama.
Am I correct to understand this PiP program will hit hardest at those lowest on the totem pole? In other words, it's those with less seniority and those that have not been able to get favor in higher ranks. I would guess the idea is to weed out the lowest ranks on the grounds there are always replacements out there whose noses can be kept to the wheel with more Pips. But the favored few will survive, regardless of their productivity?
ReplyDeleteI don't think Louisiana is part of the south group anymore.
ReplyDelete1:45, you are reading too much into something that already exists and is being used. PIPs are a routine tool to help employees understand that their performance must improve or they face termination. What you will see more of is Ad Directors and Publishers/GMs/Whatevers putting more of their sales people on PIPs for failing to miss goal. For those sales people already on PIPs, where their performance is such that it's a margin call on whether or not they are deemed to be improving, you will see those ending in terminations.
ReplyDelete1:52 Well, that might work if there's a replacement, but it looks like this method is going to be used to reduce payroll. That means fewer people out there selling. Even if some of them are underperformers to the point they are working under notices of possible termination, they are bringing in some revenues and they have developed some personal relationships. I can hear the refrain now: "I only bought that ad because Susan dealt with me and I liked her." So no follow-on ad.
ReplyDeleteNo follow-on ad placed, so no coupon in Sunday's paper. So reader unhappy with nothing to clip and cancels subscription. Multiply that a few times and you can see how circulation and ads collapse.
ReplyDeletePhx's ad production (art) dept has not been consolidated yet to the gci centers. They have 23 artists. Does anyone think they have dodged this bullet or do you think it will be completed by the end of 2011?
ReplyDeletePhoenix is scheduled last for GPC. They are to be done before July 1.
ReplyDeletePhoenix is scheduled last for GPC. They are to be done before July 1.
ReplyDelete5/11/2011 3:31 PM
and depending on the depth of the consolidation you could easily expect to see 20 to 50 layoffs occur.
12 people in Asheville's newsroom are getting the axe. Everyone has to reapply for their job. Screw Gannett, forever and ever.
ReplyDeleteAsheville is in the South Group! Told ya..
ReplyDeleteHow many newsroom folks are there in Asheville?
ReplyDelete4:44 Everyone has to reapply for their job? How many openings will there be if they are letting 12 go? The ACT newsroom is shorthanded now they should let some of the ad staff go they have a lot of dead weight there. I don't want to see anyone lose their job but there goes the local content at the ACT which we don't have much coverage now. There is a good old boy network at the ACT, I doubt they would touch the ad staff.
ReplyDelete12 out of what 45? That's decimation.
ReplyDeletePeople are strangely silent about the Blob-like killing under way in Cincinnati. Copy editors/page designers have been told that they will be laid off if they don't follow their jobs to Louisville -- 100 miles away. If that weren't bad enough, there is no assurance that they can keep their jobs. They will have to re-apply for them. This will unfold during the course of the year until the transition is complete. Afterwards, I wonder how many times we're going to see references to Cincinatti, Proctor & Gamble and getta.
ReplyDeleteThe leadership is saying it's a more fair system to make people reapply for their jobs than to just give people the axe. Yeah? Either way, it's disrespectful to the good jobs done by good people so CD can get his almight million $ corporate welfare dollar.
ReplyDeleteOl' Craigy should have to reapply for his job, along with the rest of the crew.... LOL
ReplyDelete5:45, exact thing happened in Louisiana in 2009. Only copy editors/page designers had to follow their jobs to Monroe. I'd imagine copy editors/page designers here would kill to work in Louisville over Monroe.
ReplyDeleteSome are lucky they get a PIP
ReplyDeletethere are supposedly 47 people in the Asheville newsroom.
ReplyDeletePalm Springs is losing amazing talented and dedicated workers who have given countless hours to niche and large bread & butter products. I can't imagine how GPS is going to meet with clients to help them design their ads, magazines, and assist in developing ad design strategies. Such a loss. I feel for them and wish them well, I don't know how we will ever regain what we just lost, as these people have such a broad base of skills and understanding of our locality. Being the unique market we are here, former publisher Bob Dickey ought to have known better than to mess with this 'gem' in the Gannett dynasty... it's going to get messy here.
ReplyDeleteImpossible: Palm Springs was making a 38 percent profit margin _ $40 million _ just three years ago. It was one of the most profitable papers in the company. So what happened in three years to change that? It cannot possibly turned from such a huge gain into a loss justifying these sorts of cuts in this period.
ReplyDeleteImpossible: Palm Springs was making a 38 percent profit margin _ $40 million _ just three years ago. It was one of the most profitable papers in the company. So what happened in three years to change that? It cannot possibly turned from such a huge gain into a loss justifying these sorts of cuts in this period.
ReplyDelete5/12/2011 10:03 AM
It's not impossible newspaper revenue is collapsing, have you been living in a cave?
10:10 I am aware of the collapsing newspaper revenue, but it doesn't explain how fabulously profitable newspapers are now taking huge hits. They can't have collapsed so much in three years that papers like Palm Springs have turned from a 40 percent profit margin to nothing. It is not feasible. We would have heard grumbling about lousy management at Palm Springs, or some other signs.
ReplyDeleteDid the palm springs artist get any advanced warning to the day they were getting laid off?
ReplyDeleteI feel for all the artists who have and are going to get laid off.
Corporate doesn't understand the dedication all of these people have put into their products.
Usa todays much ballyhooed verticals are about to axe several Life section reporters and editors who don't meet the twisted, unrealistic demands of Verticals Queen Heather Frank. She wants younger hipper floggers and overseers. Question for her; what do matt, denise and christine do all day?
ReplyDeleteThey plot their next moves, hiring ex AOL cronies at six figure salaries.
ReplyDeleteHeather is after Hunkers job.
ReplyDeleteGannett's PIP program is just a tool for the company to f--k with employees who ask tough questions about absurd policies and practices. At our shop, quite a few truly awful people have been on and off PIPs over the years, but stay and stay. But when the company wants to get rid of someone with actual ability, they put him/her on a PIP or write up a false evaluation. Slouches don't mind the PIP because they know the company won't fire them. Truly skilled workers won't stand for it and will leave. Gannett loves it when that happens because they're not on the hook for unemployment or severance.
ReplyDeletethere were also 2 laid off in finance at the ACT. i heard that besides the 12 in the newsroom and 2 in finance there were 4 more positions eliminated. they may be positions that will not be filled.
ReplyDelete@3:33 I know of 3 positions that were posted at the ACT and were taken down as of early yesterday. I also heard that ACT circulation dept. was affected by the layoff but I'm getting this second hand.
ReplyDelete