CHRONICLE STAFF CUTS

Five newsroom layoffs at Chronicle

Top talent being shown the door -- again

16 Sep 2009

Media Workers Guild

Five members of the San Francisco Chronicle editorial department were notified Wednesday that they are being laid off as part of the newspaper's ongoing attempt to reduce operating losses.

Job cuts were announced last week in classified advertising. Company managers told Guild officers that no additional "journalist" positions are being cut for now, but did not rule out the possibility of additional layoffs in non-news departments.

The Guild members laid off this week, as in previous rounds, include some of the Chronicle's most experienced and talented journalists. The Guild is not disclosing the names of any individuals losing their jobs.

Hearst Corp., owner of The Chronicle, threatened to close the paper earlier this year before reaching agreements with the Guild and Teamsters designed to help bring costs into line with shrinking revenues. One of the key agreements was an increase in severance to as much as a year's pay, plus health benefits, for anyone involuntarily losing his or her job.

The Guild invites all those facing job losses to contact us for assistance with unemployment benefits, health care and pensions. Our members also have established job-search assistance programs, including an active online network on LinkedIn. Our new Freelance Unit allows Guild members to stay active in the union, and work with other Guild members to obtain new skills, find work and advance our common interests.

*Unemployment workshops:* We have two unemployment workshops scheduled -- 5:30-7 p.m. Oct. 1 and 1-2:30 p.m. Oct. 2 -- in The Chronicle's Golden Gate Conference Room (basement). To RSVP, please e-mail deveramichelle@gmail.com.

As always, please check this Web site,mediaworkers.org,  for updates.

In solidarity,

Carl Hall, Local rep

Michelle Devera, Unit chair

California Media Workers Guild
433 Natoma St., San Francisco
(415) 421-6833 mediaworkers.org
CMWG/TNG-CWA 39521*AFL-CIO