San Francisco Business Times - by Chris Rauber, 5/8/09
The San Francisco Chronicle began laying off editorial employees Thursday, and is expected to eliminate up to 30 jobs in the latest round of staffing cuts at the troubled daily.
As of about 1:30 p.m., layoffs were in process, according to sources familiar with the situation. Among the individuals who are leaving the paper as a result are editorial staffers John Koopman, Jonathan Curiel, Susan Sward, Tyche Hendricks, Deborah Gage, Verne Kopytoff, Chris Heredia, Jim Doyle and Jane Kay, said informed sources. Approximately eight to 10 of the cuts are from the Chronicles metro desk, one source said. Other names are rumored but could not be confirmed at this time.
This is an expected move. Its tragic that the news business needs to get rid of its core assets, Carl Hall, a Media Guild representative and a longtime Chronicle reporter who took a buyout last month. Hall said the Guild would have a statement on the layoffs once they are complete.
Hearst Corp., which owns the embattled 144-year-old daily paper, said in late February it would sell or shutter the Chronicle if it couldnt wrangle sufficient concessions from the Media Workers Guild and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents the truck drivers who distribute the paper. Both unions agreed to cutbacks set to eliminate about 210 jobs, but the papers management said earlier it needed to slash an additional 30 or more Guild jobs, which meant that layoffs would be needed to augment the earlier buyouts/voluntary terminations.
Hearst says its been losing $50 million or more annually at the Chronicle, and other sources say the bleeding has been even worse. Hearst stopped the print edition of its Seattle Post-Intelligencer in mid-March, retaining only a much-smaller SeattlePI.com online publication.
This is part of the agreement we reached with the guild back in March, said Michael Keith, the Chronicles marketing director and spokesman on this issue. Keith said he could not provide further details.
Blog Comments