Chicago Sun Times to cut 35

Chicago Sun-Times executives told the union representing reporters, editors and columnists at the paper that it intends to eliminate 35 union positions in the newsroom. In addition, the newspaper plans to eliminate five non-union management positions, sources said.

The newspaper's plan was outlined in a letter Thursday from Sun-Times labor relations chief Ted Rilea to Chicago Newspaper Guild executive director Gerald Minkkinen.

"We knew it was going to be bad, but it's worse than people were expecting,'' said one reporter who spoke on background.

Chicago Newspaper Guild officials will meet with management at the paper over the next two weeks to negotiate in an effort to avoid as many "involuntary layoffs'' as possible, said Minkkinen, who added that he was out of the office and had not yet seen the letter.

Click on the headline to read the full story by Chicago Tribune reporter Jim Kirk.