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Were they union? or did all of the 20 plus imaging department get together and call someone?
http://www.presstelegram.com/opinions/ci_8481730
Of course they left out a few pesky details, like the sports reporters and photographer that were laid off, the loss of the managing editor and publisher and the shift (to the Breeze) of the authority to make important decisions.
But as far as their assurances "we're still here" ... Well, I feel so much better now don't you?
Dave Werstine, Mark Carpenter, Ben Villa and Earl Williams
I feel for the people that are losing their jobs and being reassigned to other locations here at the P.T and at all of our sister publications, both here and in northern california.
It is unfortunate that the streamlining or combining of efforts or downsizing - whatever YOU may want to call it has been happening now for over 10 years, but yet only now receiving press as it involves the union?!?
Credit, finance, circulation, marketing dept, human resources, imaging, artists, production staff, page layout, makeup depts, pagination, mailrooms, even some advertising divisions & advertising mgrs, internet depts... have all been condensed into shared depts. with our other papers...and again...
THIS HAS BEEN OCCURING FOR OVER 10 YEARS!
and we still have over 88,000 people PAYING for the paper EVERY DAY!
Please know that I am proud to work at the Press-Telegram and proud of the service I provide...yes, its makes the mind weary some days - but why do you think they call it work? I too, reported to work one day, years ago to find that my position had been eliminated and was reassigned. Ended up in a better position!
You have a nice little magazine - you folks at the DISTRICT - but come on - GET OFF IT ALREADY!
Perhaps you're one of the two old guys who struggle to finish 2 whole editorial pages in a single day, one of which is completely wire stories?
Or are you one of the dozens of advertising drones who got replaced whenever someone quit as opposed to the newsroom staff which had 2 hires over the past 2 years?
Are you a features reporter who isn't required to do a story a day while all of the real work for the section is done out at one of the sister papers?
Obviously you're not one of the hard working people who put the paper together for many a stressful night, I am sure you weren't one of the 5 desk people who were there on a Sunday to put together the entire edition....
Are you one of Doug's little hanger-ons? Buy him a drink to get your name in the column and maybe even a not-so-witty nickname....
No true P-T employee would have such a blatant disregard for the hardships facing their former co-workers and friends....
You're probably Rich, the spineless worm who cow-tows to the columnists to get his name mentioned in their never timely columns....
none of the above- CAN YOU READ?
not an old guy, not a drone, not a features reporter, no hanger on, no buying drinks..have no nickname to publish, not Rich,.
Yes to hard working and yes to stressful evenings.
How dare you reply that my post shows blatant disregard towards my fellow employees! IF YOU COULD process what you read perhaps you would be better informed! TRUE THAT!
so sad that you would say something like that - that was really being an ASS
Other than those on reporters row, the prepguys and two editors over there, the rest of the staff remains overpaid underworking hanger ons....
I don't need to process what you wrote, I lived it....
Your and ad guy or the promotions guy who sells posters at the Grand Prix for a $1 and ear plugs for the same price, " promoting " the PT, very inovative Idea and a great deal considering when you buy them in bulk it cost you 10 cents. Why not give them the posters for free? of and the ear plugs. Wow you are really thinking outside the box . Oh and congrats on the better position, tust me you stick around long enough ( 3-6 months ) and you literally might be publisher.
Trust me the union workers know what work is and though your management you should be fighting for better content to attract more readers so you can up-grade from the Dodge Stratus to the KIA SUV. And If your having issues in you department talk to a union rep.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TROhlThs9qY
Coffee is for closers!!!
By E&P Staff
Published: March 05, 2008 1:50 PM ET
NEW YORK The Society of Professional Journalists’ Northern California Chapter today expressed concerns about the latest round of staff cuts by MediaNews Group at the San Jose Mercury News, Oakland Tribune, Contra Costa Times, and the 26 other regional newspapers controlled by the company — and called for more accountability on the company’s part for the effect the cuts will have on newsgathering.
“Reports from chapter members signal to us that we can no longer stand on the sidelines when it comes to scrutinizing the effects of these cutbacks on the breadth and quality of news coverage,” board President Linda Jue said in a statement. “We aren't simply talking about saving jobs. We're talking about how business decisions are narrowing the choices reporters and editors make about which stories to pursue. This is of special concern during an election year, when keeping the public informed about fast-changing economic, political and social issues is essential to the democratic process."
These staff reductions, which will be made in the next few days, come on the heels of two additional staff cuts in 2007.
While the board is mindful of the economic challenges facing newspapers, it is calling on MediaNews to reconsider its business strategy and recall its stated commitment to quality journalism. The board pointed out that these new cuts are being made just after MediaNews reported a 33.9% increase in quarterly net income.
In a release, SPJ stated that it is “dedicated to the perpetuation of high journalistic standards that keep citizens well informed on matters affecting their lives and their communities. Therefore, the chapter has a professional obligation to monitor the impact of this series of cutbacks on the free flow of reliable information to residents living in communities served by MediaNews.
“The NorCal chapter will work with its membership to collect data documenting the effects of the cutbacks on San Francisco Bay Area news coverage,” the organization added. “Chapter representatives will seek direct discussions with senior management of MediaNews as well as journalists, union representatives, media analysts, academics, community leaders, and other interested parties. The board plans to share its findings with the public and with concerned governmental officials.”
E&P Staff (letters@editorandpublisher.com)
While I agree the management is full of shit, so are you guys. Your distain for the PT leaves your stories full of assumptions and rumors that it is as bad as you claim the PT is.
1.With the combined staffs, union members will be in the minority and the company won’t recognize their right to collective bargaining.
Had they combined the staff they could have got rid of the union, the management said specifically this was not a joining of staff and while you could argue that is just playing semantics the fact remains that all the reporters and photographers are still represented by the union (weather they like it or not). Union members are not in the minority, 100 % of 15 is 100% (10 writers, 5 shooters in the union)
2. its only reporter, Don Jergler, just resigned.
Kris Hansen is a business reporter, he is still there, and Karen Robes was just promoted to Don Jerglers job - thats 2 business reporters - while I agree it is meger - you guys still need to get your facts straight.
Here is some advice for you guys at the District Weakly, there is no need to embellish the stories at the PT - the truth is interesting enough. Try not letting your personal hatred for the PT get in the way of your reporting.. Well, i guess if you could do that you'ld be working at a real paper not some free-be you made out of thin air.
www.presstelegram.com
thanks
Oops.
www.presstelegram.com
There were two reporters who gave notice and their positions are being filled by two persons that would have been laid off had these reporter positions not become available. (One of them was another sports reporter).
That leaves the count at 12 reporters in the newsroom to cover all of Long Beach and the surrounding cities.
The layoffs also included a photographer, web person and two sports reporters, despite the PT's assurances that no reporters would be laid off and that they're investing in the web. (I guess “sports reporters” don’t count)
I also believe the comment about the union representation is also based on confused information.
In Northern California Media News did combine the staffs of several papers (non-union and union) and after all of these people were working in the same office the company then asserted that the union no longer represented a majority and refused to recognize them.
There have been major concerns about that occurring down here as well.
However, that strategy won’t be necessary here because they are simply moving employees to the local nonunion daily paper and reducing the represented staff at the PT. So even though the remaining persons ARE still in a union, the company also accomplishes the goal of reducing the number of persons being represented.
If that’s unrelated, why else would the PT folks be moved to the Breeze rather than visa versa? The Breeze will be relocating soon anyway (as their building has been sold), so now there are more computers, desks and people to accommodate, how does that save money?
And though the numbers seem low as far as actual cuts, consider that 20 or so people being moved (or cut) from the PT newsroom this actually removes about half the people there.
Besides, what's to stop lean Dean from paring down some of those that were moved or the staff that was spared? There are no guarantees. The POINT is local coverage means nothing to him, but it should mean something to all of us. Newspapers aren't just businesses they’re a service to the public, they're our eyes and ears.
We're at a pivotal point in our democracy and we need more voices, not less.
District reporters keep 24 percent of all ad revenu they bring in
http://www.geocities.com/business46/papertime/l...
And Torrance? Man there isn't enough time in the day for that one!
The fact is that the paper is a complete farce....a pimp for the Chamber of Commerce...rabidly anti-worker (especially the Teachers of all people).....and a shell of it's former self. There is almost no content. How sad to see Hennessy and Krikorian existing as "tribute" writers.
Sad to say that after 45 years of reading the IPT daily I'm done. I don't even care if I find one on a table at work. It's just not worth reading, and I won't even bother looking at their website.
And who said something about Molina buying the paper? Mauricio Heilbron MD wrote an article (his very last one by the way) that the Molina's obviously wouldn't like and that was the last I've seen of him.
I hope we have a real paper again-in my lifetime.
Paying sales reps 24% would be ludicrous enough; now that the rumor has spread from that single point of contact to W2 (unless W2 is that same guy) it's become even less believable: the number's still there but it's now attached to writers.
So here's the truth: our writers make no commission on ad sales because they don't sell ads; that's why we call them "writers." Our sales reps don't write (though Patrick Dooley, who just moved over to sales? Fucker can write; edited the Union at CSULB, and has a wicked sense of humor), and they make around 12% on every advertising sale; with bonuses and such, it can be a little more than 12%, but never 24%. That'd be stupid--almost as stupid as the person who asserts it as truth without any evidence.
your a sly one Will, but come on, you'ld never buy that excuse if it came from Archibold, why should we buy it from you?
I love the guessing game to discover the TRUE identity of pt-lbc.
Let me see, let me see...
"not an old guy, not a drone, not a features reporter, no hanger on, no buying drinks..have no nickname to publish, not Rich,." But you do provide a service, and you work hard?
Hmm... Furniture mover? No, no, Leisure World chaperone? Quaid???!!!