Employees at The Sun are bracing for layoffs in the wake of a disappointing response to the company?s latest buyout proposal.
“The company received 34 buyout applications from Guild members,” said Tanika White, co-chairperson of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild unit at The Sun, “but they won?t tell us how many they received total. We?re hearing rumors that the total number is about 44. Now we?ll just wait to get layoff numbers from them.”
The Sun, which along with 10 other dailies and 23 broadcasting stations is owned by Chicago-based Tribune Co., announced a 100-person ? 60 in the newsroom ? buyout plan two weeks ago. It specified one week of pay for every six months of service with comparable continuing health insurance coverage, but interested parties had only 12 days to declare.
The offer ? the second this year ? was open to all 1,400 employees of the Baltimore Sun Media Group?s one daily and 21 weekly newspapers, but the lion?s share was expected to come from the Sun?s 300-person newsroom.
That didn?t happen.
“I?m actually surprised that The Sun was able to garner that many buyouts,” White said. “I think it shows just how many people have become disillusioned with Tribune Co.?s tactics.”
The Sun cutbacks are consistent with downsizings throughout Tribune Co.?s holdings, where first-quarter 2008 profits from its publishing operations were down 74 percent year-over-year.
