It?s a done deal.
Dropping its negotiating position that two weeks was not enough time for employees to decide whether to participate in The Sun?s recently announced buyout plan, the Baltimore-Washington Newspaper Guild said Monday that its 465-member unit at the Tribune Co. newspaper could participate.
“We have agreed,” Guild President Bill Salganik said of management?s plan to cut 45 positions throughout the Baltimore Sun Media Group?s work force. “We look forward, however, to The Sun finding more ways to generate revenue rather than balancing the budget by reducing the number of journalists and customer-service people.”
Salganik said he was not surprised by management reserving its right to cut more than the 45 positions originally announced ? possibly by layoff ? if the quota is not met or if restructuring dictates further trimming. Participating employees? last day at The Sun will be March 31.
“If we don?t get the number we need through buyouts,” said Sun spokeswoman Linda Yurche, “then there probably will be layoffs. And then there are some areas, aside from the buyouts, [that may be restructured].”
Yurche would not provide a list of job positions eligible for the buyout, but The Examiner has learned that employees working in circulation, operations, finance, advertising, facilities and the news departments are eligible.
Specifically, eligibility is: In news, 12 assistants ? capped at one assured participant (by seniority) and the rest at company discretion: two copy editors with 30 years service; one design editor with 35 years? service; nine features reporters with five years of service, capped at one; and three sports reporters with 30 years? service, capped at two.
In advertising, two ad service clerks and two ad makeup employees are eligible, both capped at one; and 13 each of inside and outside ad salespersons are eligible.
As for circulation, five customer-satisfaction representatives with less than 16 years? service are eligible, capped at one; and one customer-service representative is eligible.
In the finance department, whose participating employees have until April 30 to depart, 10 are eligible, capped at nine; and four computer operators are eligible within the operations department. Eight janitors within the facilities department also are eligible.
