For those of you who have read the news today, just wanted to send everyone a note to fill in the blanks. Four photographers were among the 39 newsroom staffers at the Akron Beacon Journal who lost their jobs on Tuesday.
Lindsay Semple, Bob DeMay, Ken Love and Karen Schiely were the casualties in photo. All layoffs were by seniority. Staff photographers Jocelyn Williams and Robin Sallie are opting to take a contract provided voluntary layoff with severance. Their actions should save the jobs of Love and Schiely. The union contract at the paper calls for a 60 day notice before layoffs can be enacted. Other staffers have 60 days to opt for a voluntary layoff.
We will keep you all posted as things progress. In the meantime if your paper has openings at any position please let us know and we will share with other staffers here. We also lost two artists, 18 reporters, and 8 copy editors, a librarian and three clerks.
Meanwhile to the north The Plain Dealer has buyouts on the table targeted at senior staff members. Early indications are that many people are signing up for them. Beacon management said buyouts were not an option that was ever considered here.
Needless to say its a gloomy newsroom in Akron right now.
Bob DeMay
ONPA Board Chairman
It's even worse when you put the names of people you know on the cuts list. It must, indeed, be a severely gloomy atmosphere at what we used to know as Knight's original newspaper.
ReplyDeleteI feel for those laid off, and even to a lesser degree to those who survived the cuts ... this time.
And how exactly does Black intend to publish more local news when 11 reporters were among the cuts?
Disgusting and sad.