Louisville | GCI spreads new wage-and-raise policy

The Courier-Journal in Louisville yesterday became at least the eighth U.S. newspaper this quarter to institute Gannett's new, more limited wage-and-raise policy for many employees, according to one of my readers.

Wages at the Kentucky paper have been frozen; only a handful of employees will receive pay increases, based solely on merit, and drawn from a pool set aside for raises, staffers were told yesterday, according to my reader.

The size of the pool will be based on the paper's profitability, the reader says. This policy has been instituted for all of the U.S. papers, but the Detroit Free Press, the reader says. However, I don't know whether this policy also applies to USA Today, and I don't think it applies to any employees covered by union contracts.

Any raises will be granted at the start of each quarter, a shift from the long-standing practice of giving raises on employment anniversary dates, the reader says.

Newsroom employees were told about the new policy orally, according to my reader, rather than through an e-mail or other written communication. That follows other Gannett Blogger reports of a new GCI policy for many months now, where details of layoffs, furloughs and other such internal news are not distributed in writing, perhaps to slow leaks to the public.

Related: spreadsheet lists wage freezes, site-by-site.

Readers: GCI has now cut 36 jobs this quarter

[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.

Rochester is fifth site to report a wage freeze

Anonymous@6:09 p.m. wrote yesterday: "The editor in Rochester, Karen Magnuson, announced a selective wage freeze late this afternoon: no merit raises for the next year. She said this was a U.S. community newspapers decision, and implied some or all of the other papers will have freezes."

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle in New York is at least the fifth paper to impose a wage freeze, according to Gannett Blogger reports I've now added in this new spreadsheet.

Has your site imposed a freeze? Please check my list, then post your site's information in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.

Montgomery | Wage freeze announced, tip says

Lloyd

Alabama's Montgomery Advertiser last week disclosed a wage freeze to staffers including those in Executive Editor Wanda Lloyd's newsroom, according to one of my readers: "Wanda told managers to relay the news only directly and in person; no emails. She didn't want that information in 'print.'"

The freeze comes a month after Gannett disclosed huge pay raises for top executives, including CEO Craig Dubow, whose 2010 pay doubled to $9.4 million. What's more, the paper's austerity step comes even as Montgomery's economy hums with the success of Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia, which have factories in the area, according to The New York Times.

"Hyundai is running its Montgomery plant, which employs 2,650, around the clock on weekdays and occasional Saturdays to keep up with demand," the NYT reported in February. "Last summer, it moved production of its Santa Fe sport utility vehicle 95 miles northeast to the Kia plant to free capacity in Montgomery. Kia recently hired 600 additional workers to operate a second shift for the Santa Fe and plans a third, with 1,000 more jobs."

Earlier: Advertiser unveils new design in print.

Heard about a wage freeze at your site? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.