Trib buyouts sought
April 14, 2008 at 11:18 am by Wayne Garcia
Breaking news: Word from the newsroom is that the Tampa Tribune, Newschannel 8 and tbo.com are offering buyouts to employees who voluntarily would opt to retire early. Earlier this year, sources said at the time, news managers were looking to trim $3 million from the budget on South Parker Street. Half of the 1,300 Media General minions here are getting the offer, although the company has not released figures on how many will actually be shown the door, voluntarily or involuntarily.
Employees were greeted by a packet in their mail this morning explaining that the newspaper was looking for voluntary buyouts. The offer: two weeks of pay for every year of service for higher-echelon employees, one week for every year for the rest. And apparently copy editors, photogs and a few other groups are not eligible for the buyout. (Unless, one would guess, there aren’t enough volunteers for the buyout.)
No one has discussed yet the targeted number of staff reductions, but the company’s human resources folks are holding two meetings this afternoon, and editor Janet Coats is expected to address the newsroom at 5 p.m on Friday after being out of town when the initial buyout packets went out.
Workers have two weeks to decide: take the buyout benefits now or, as one person put it to me, await possible future cuts and uncertainty. “Who knows when the grim reaper comes around again,” one Trib employee told me.
Update: Deggans weighs in here. The official word from the News Center is here, with some hilarious comments.
(photo by Josh Hallett)
