Layoffs Enter The Picture Amidst Turmoil At Philadelphia Papers
By Steve Tawa
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Amid the reports the papers are for sale again, comes word of more turmoil at the company that operates the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News. Layoffs have entered the picture.
The Newspaper Guild, which represents reporters, photographers and other employees, has been told the company wants to cut their already shrunken ranks. The media company currently has about 550 employees, down from about 900 just five years ago:
"The company informed us that they're looking to eliminate 37-positions."
Before anyone is targeted for layoff, Guild President Dan Gross, the Daily News columnist, says the company is offering voluntary buyouts:
"Between hearing about job eliminations, whether they be buyouts or layoffs, and the potential sale of the entire company, I would say that the mood of all of the employees is confusion and concern."
The buyout window closes in two weeks, at the end of February.
