Updated Dec. 7, 2013
If it is Christmas time, it is pink slip time at Sun Media.
TSF received the following posting today:
Publisher Mark Holmes from Northumberland Today let go this morning
after 33 years with Sun Media. Along with one Classifieds person. Darren
Murphy back at the helm but operating out of Peterborough... another
bleak Christmas for Sun Media employees.
Update: 200 more jobs cut, including about 50 in editorial.
A
union press release says "Although plans may change, the downsizing (in
Ontario) was expected to affect the Toronto Sun, London Free Press,
Belleville Intelligencer, Chatham Daily News, Sarnia Observer, Stratford
Beacon-Herald, Brantford Expositor, Owen Sound Sun-Times, St.
Catharines Standard and the Niagara Falls Review."
Putting names and faces to the latest cutbacks from TSF readers and other sources:
Toronto Sun
"Thane
Burnett, Lisa Lisle (Online boss), (the National Ent
editor). Also 3 jobs on endangered list in Editorial, Figgy is leaving
and national marketing group canned."
Ottawa Sun
"Five also cut from the Ottawa Sun: Randy Hayley, Drew McAnulty, Robert Moore, Donna Udechukwu and Sandra Wells."
Belleville, Trenton
"Belleville Intelligencer losing 2 from editorial. No names yet. The
layoff here also includes The Trentonian and The Community Press, the
two weeklies that fall under our Quinte umbrella. Rumours abound that
management will kill the sports department, with all remaining reporters
working out of a common pool and taking assignments as they come.
Supposed to be meeting soon to discuss details and buyout packages that
might be available to those considering leaving. As it stands today, the
2 lowest people on the overall seniority list would be hit."
Niagara Region - Niagara Falls, Welland, St. Catharines, Thorold
"Three in Niagara Falls (reporter, sports editor, managing editor); one
in Welland (reporter); two in St. Catharines (reporter, photographer);
the only Thorold News reporter; the magazine division is shuttered. The
editorial department of the Niagara Falls Review is being moved to
St.Catharines to be overseen by the St. Catharines Standard managing
editor. The editor in chief of the Review, who hasn't been at that paper
in months as he travels the province training employees on how to get
by from the last set of cuts, is being moved into an as yet unknown
position. No doubt he'll help the company figure out how to get by with
even fewer employees."
"Corey Smith, Matt Day, Corey Larocque at the Niagara Falls Review. Dave Johnson at The Tribune and one non-editorial person there, too. Jeff Blay at Thorold News. Jeff Bolichowski and Julie Jocsak at St. Catharines Standard. Review editorial merged into St. Catharines. Thorold News to become part of the Standard somehow. Still three publishers in Niagara."
"Looks like steps are being taken to move to just one paper for the
Niagara region. Remaining staff from the Niagara Falls Review are moving
into the new offices of the St. Catharines Standard. Looks like the
Review lost three people, including ME — and former longtime reporter –
Corey Larocque. Standard is losing 3 - photog Julie Jocsak, reporter
Jeff Bolichowski and Jeff Blay, who reported for the weekly Thorold
News. Tribune is losing veteran Dave Johnson, and I hear one other. I'd
be nervous in Welland that they are next to shutter the office and move
into St. Catharines. Yet another dark day for journalism in the Sun
Media family."
Welland
"For the record, Welland also lost a valuable reporter when Dave Johnson, a longtime member of The Tribune newsroom was let go."
Chatham
"In Chatham, according to social media chatter, reporter Vicki Gough and sales rep Chris Summerfield."
Brantford
"At least one gone from Brantford, reporter Hugo Rodrigues."
Northern Ontario - Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, Timmins
"In Northern Ontario, Sudbury Star 4, Sault 3, North Bay 1, Timmins 1 (not replacing a reporter) What about SUN TV? Any cuts?"
St. Thomas, Stratford
"Mark Butterwick, former longtime city editor at the St. Thomas
Times-Journal, started when the newspaper was part of a small SW Ontario
group owned by the Dingman family, then under ownership of Thomson,
Bowes and the Sun/Quebecor. Mark in recent years stepped over to be a
local sports reporter. Laura Cudworth, reporter, Stratford Beacon-Herald."
Tuesday, 3 December 2013
Christmas 2013 Sun Media layoffs
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More to come, at least in Ontario. Bleak start to the holiday season. Thought Scrooge resigned...guess not
ReplyDelete200
ReplyDeleteMontréal, December 4, 2013 — Sun Media Corporation announces the elimination of approximately
ReplyDelete200 positions across the organization, of which about a quarter will come from editorial. The Corporation is
taking the restructuring and optimization initiative at a time of profound, unprecedented changes in the print
media industry driven largely by the digital revolution.
“It is very tough to announce job cuts,” said Julie Tremblay, President and CEO of Sun Media Corporation.
“But as distressing as they are for the employees involved, these restructuring initiatives are necessary to
maintain our leading position and ensure the Corporation’s sustainability. We truly regret this decision’s
impact on the professionals who are leaving our organization. We thank each and every one of them and we
wish them every success.”
About Sun Media Corporation
Sun Media Corporation, a subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc., is Canada’s largest newspaper publisher, based
on paid and free circulation, publishing over 15.1 million copies each week. With 36 paid-circulation daily
newspapers and 3 free dailies in 9 of the 10 largest urban markets in Canada, each with its own dedicated
website, and almost 200 community newspapers, shopping guides and other specialty publications, Sun
Media Corporation’s English and French language newspapers and websites make it a leading provider of
local news and information. Sun Media Corporation includes the activities of Osprey Media and Canoe.ca, an
integrated enterprise offering e-commerce, information and communication services that operates a network
of Internet portals that attracts over 10.5 million unique visitors per month in Canada, including 5.7 million in
Québec. Sun Media Corporation also provides a range of commercial printing and related services as well as
http://www.quebecor.com/en/comm/sun-media-continues-implementation-its-restructuring-and-optimization-plan
ReplyDeleteIn response to the impact of digital
ReplyDeleteSun Media continues implementation of its restructuring and optimization plan
Montréal, December 4, 2013 — Sun Media Corporation announces the elimination of approximately
200 positions across the organization, of which about a quarter will come from editorial. The Corporation is
taking the restructuring and optimization initiative at a time of profound, unprecedented changes in the print
media industry driven largely by the digital revolution.
“It is very tough to announce job cuts,” said Julie Tremblay, President and CEO of Sun Media Corporation.
“But as distressing as they are for the employees involved, these restructuring initiatives are necessary to
maintain our leading position and ensure the Corporation’s sustainability. We truly regret this decision’s
impact on the professionals who are leaving our organization. We thank each and every one of them and we
wish them every success.”
About Sun Media Corporation
Sun Media Corporation, a subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc., is Canada’s largest newspaper publisher, based
on paid and free circulation, publishing over 15.1 million copies each week. With 36 paid-circulation daily
newspapers and 3 free dailies in 9 of the 10 largest urban markets in Canada, each with its own dedicated
website, and almost 200 community newspapers, shopping guides and other specialty publications, Sun
Media Corporation’s English and French language newspapers
and
websites make it a leading provider of
local news and information. Sun Media Corporation includes the activities of Osprey Media and Canoe.ca, an
integrated enterprise offering e-commerce, information and communication services that operates a network
of Internet portals that attracts over 10.5 million unique visitors per month in Canada, including 5.7 million in
Québec. Sun Media Corporation also provides a range of commercial printing and related services as well as
distribution services for newspapers, flyers and magazines.
— 30 —
Information
Martin Tremblay
Vice President, Public affairs
Quebecor Media
514-380-1985
martin.tremblay@quebecor.com
According to CBC, another 200 laid off. Who could possibly be left?
ReplyDeletePeterborough Examiner -2
ReplyDeleteNewsroom to be reduced to 8 people from 10 by year's end with managing editor Jim Hendry retiring and reporter Brendan Wedley leaving to take another job.
Reporter Elizabeth Bower not returning from maternity leave and reporter Joelle Kovach, who had returned to the paper as the mat leave fill-in, has become permanent.
http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/2013/12/04/examiner-managing-editor-to-retire
Our newsroom at the Peterborough Examiner has been cut by two positions including editor Jim Hendry.
ReplyDelete200 is the number--50 from editorial
ReplyDeleteCorey Larocque, the managing editor at Niagara Falls Review got let go.
ReplyDeleteAt least 3 in Sarnia
ReplyDeleteWho would that be in Sarnia or Chatham?
DeleteIn Chatham, according to social media chatter, reporter Vicki Gough and sales rep Chris Summerfield.
DeleteThree in Niagara Falls (reporter, sports editor, managing editor); one in Welland (reporter); two in St. Catharines (reporter, photographer); the only Thorold News reporter; the magazine division is shuttered. The editorial department of the Niagara Falls Review is being moved to St.Catharines to be overseen by the St. Catharines Standard managing editor. The editor in chief of the Review, who hasn't been at that paper in months as he travels the province training employees on how to get by from the last set of cuts, is being moved into an as yet unknown position. No doubt he'll help the company figure out how to get by with even fewer employees.
ReplyDeleteLooks like steps are being taken to move to just one paper for the Niagara region. Remaining staff from the Niagara Falls Review are moving into the new offices of the St. Catharines Standard. Looks like the Review lost three people, including ME — and former longtime reporter – Corey Larocque. Standard is losing 3 - photog Julie Jocsak, reporter Jeff Bolichowski and Jeff Blay, who reported for the weekly Thorold News. Tribune is losing veteran Dave Johnson, and I hear one other. I'd be nervous in Welland that they are next to shutter the office and move into St. Catharines. Yet another dark day for journalism in the Sun Media family.
ReplyDeleteAt least one gone from Brantford, reporter Hugo Rodrigues.
ReplyDeleteIn Northern Ontario, Sudbury Star 4, Sault 3, North Bay 1, Timmins 1(not replacing a reporter)
ReplyDeleteWhat about SUN TV? Any cuts?
Corey Smith, Matt Day, Corey Larocque at the Niagara Falls Review
ReplyDeleteDave Johnson at The Tribune and one non-editorial person there, too
Jeff Blay at Thorold News
Jeff Bolichowski and Julie Jocsak at St. Catharines Standard
Review editorial merged into St. Catharines. Thorold News to become part of the Standard somehow.
Still three publishers in Niagara
Mark Butterwick, former longtime city editor at the St. Thomas Times-Journal, started when the newspaper was part of a small SW Ontario group owned by the Dingman family, then under ownership of Thomson, Bowes and the Sun/Quebecor. Mark in recent years stepped over to be a local sports reporter.
ReplyDeleteLaura Cudworth, reporter, Stratford Beacon-Herald.
For the record, Welland also lost a valuable reporter when Dave Johnson, a longtime member of The Tribune newsroom was let go.
ReplyDeleteJust a matter of time before Sarnia and Chatham are moved to a section in LFP. Lost another reporter, A support graphics person in sales, and the person that took care of the insert ordering..oh and as a going away gift she has to train her replacement, Happy Holidays, time to turn out the lights folks, another Christmas with the dark cloud of Sun Media hanging over everyone. Please next time ask staff if they would like a buyout, lots want to get out but don't want to walk away empty handed.
ReplyDeleteSarnia, Chatham, Simcoe, Stratford, Woodstock are probably going to be centralized next to the larger dailies in their regions
DeleteFive also cut from the Ottawa Sun: Randy Hayley, Drew McAnulty, Robert Moore, Donna Udechukwu and Sandra Wells.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I found is how the cloud of potential cuts not only decreases morale but it also turns staff against each other and people quit working as a team because it seems to become survival of the fittest. People start turning on each other in attempts to make themselves look better and avoid being cut. The irony of that is if people don't work as a team, the company isn't going to be profitable. They are short sighted.
ReplyDeleteSingle office centralization is the next phase of what is coming with Niagara only being the first. Just take a look at the map of our newspapers in Ontario and you can clue in that closing offices and moving what remains of staff in smaller papers to nearby bigger papers under one ME is going to happen. I'm sure that Sun will spin this as a positive to the communities they abandon by having the nerve to say that nnew 'regional reporting teams" will allow stronger coverage but that will be received as the baloney that it is
ReplyDeleteHave to wonder if the next phase for the company's community papers in Ontario, and perhaps eventually Alberta, will be what was witnessed this week in Quebec. Simply a sale to another company.
ReplyDeleteHmm wonder if anyone wants to buy a depleted newspaper, poor morale, oops sorry, NO MORALE, sales staff that are beat into the ground, ed staff that after this week are smaller and won't be able to cover anything in their community anyway. Why would someone spend the money, wait for them to close then start anew.
ReplyDeleteto 7:24...you couldn't be more right! People I've worked with for years are now looking over their shoulder at all of their co-workers, running to whatever you call the publisher or one of the few dept heads to tattle on someone. I know I never liked it when a sibbling would tattle, damned straight I won't be thrown under the bus by anyone of my "friends". I've seen how they are all lovey to a worker that is being walked to the door, then as soon as the door closes they start talking badly of them. Come on people work together or be the next out the door.
ReplyDeleteThree were cut from national online a.k.a. Lisa Lisle's team.
ReplyDeleteWhat's left to sell? No presses, often no building, no local finance departments, hardly any staff of any kind and a diminished brand in the community? Sun Media would never get back the money it paid for any paper it sold. It's killed its own product.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/sun-media-sells-74-quebec-papers-to-transcontinental/article15783087/
ReplyDeleteHas there ever been a more vile and despicable company?
ReplyDeleteBelleville Intelligencer losing 2 from editorial. No names yet. The layoff here also includes The Trentonian and The Community Press, the two weeklies that fall under our Quinte umbrella. Rumours abound that management will kill the sports department, with all remaining reporters working out of a common pool and taking assignments as they come. Supposed to be meeting soon to discuss details and buyout packages that might be available to those considering leaving. As it stands today, the 2 lowest people on the overall seniority list would be hit.
ReplyDelete9:08 rumour has it the words 'common pool' are being used in our region too for the group of newspapers but nothing has been officially said to date
Delete"Work together or be the next one out the door?" Employees who work together are cut and thrown out the door and they cut incredible talent that is a benefit to Sun Media, like Thane Burnett and Lisa Lisle. Their kind of experience and talent isn't easily replaced. They think younger newer employees without their talent or expertise can easily fill their shoes they are sorely mistaken. These types of decisions are what will help kill Sun Media, losing incredible talent. It makes you wonder exactly who is deciding on who to cut. Obviously it's people who don't understand what makes a product successful when it comes to people talent.
ReplyDeleteLisa was my go-to person--cause she always knew the answer! Can't imagine how she, or members of her team, will be replaced!
DeleteThis company is run by a bunch of bean counters with no regard for the quality of the product. the new Barrie pagination centre is a disaster, mistakes, duplicate stories running in issues. Readers deserve better.
ReplyDeleteWhats happening at SUN TV any cuts? Most newspapers have more readers than SUN TV has viewers on any given day.
7:52..one word NEVER
ReplyDeleteCan anyone do the math on how many people have been let go since Quebecor's Sun Media purchased Osprey Media back in 2007? I'm going to assume it's at least 2,000 because they've cut at least 1,000 jobs in the past 13 months. They've let a lot of employees go in small numbers over the past few years. For instance, the Niagara Region, the newspapers have shrunk quite a lot since Sun Media bought them out.
ReplyDeleteThey're basically running on a skeleton crew. The delivery drivers now have to drive to Thorold to pick up all of the newspapers instead of the local newspaper buildings, they've fired a number of people in the process of centralizing the delivery system. I've heard nothing but bad things about it. Same with the classifieds and composing departments. It's pretty obvious that Quebecor does not know how to run the newspapers.
Very sad to see what they're doing to our newspapers here. I wish they would just sell them back to the communities they're in.
Wonder what the competition bureau was thinking when they green lighted the sale of Osprey? All these jobs gone and now a business in dire straights.
ReplyDeleteSix managers for 19 editorial staff in Niagara.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that Sun Media's cuts always make the news but Torstar/Metroland (80 at the Star alone a month ago) and Trans Con cuts don't. For all of you who think this is only a trend in Sun Media take another look. The print business is dying. Get out, get over it or get to work.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Head Office for their two cents worth. The reason Sun Media is always in the news is because they want everyone to think they are the leaders in the business, they are lost in the dark. If they had stopped for a second to ask the hard working employees what can/could be done they'd be surprised at how many want to help save the industry. No lets let all the experience go, bring in new people and then wonder why things are so bad, oh and Metroland is opening papers...not closing,
DeleteThe Sun News Network is the difference between red and black ink in this company. Sun is way ahead on the streamlining print operations compared to anyone else, they should be focusing on quality, retaining readers and retaining talent instead of bad tv.
DeleteBig difference between dying and being killed. Is the business what it was 5-10 years ago, absolutely not. Why though does 333 King believe they are the leaders in the industry? They bought Osprey that was by all accounts making money, respected in their communities, and yes even by most employees. The woes of the industry are not due to the incompetence of the staff but from those in the ivory tower.
DeleteHow does Niagara need three publishers? All making in excess of $100,000.
ReplyDeleteSurely cutting one or two of them might have saved a reporter or two
Nepotism is what it is. A lot of managers in Niagara are incompetent.
Deleteto 10 December 2013 10:05
ReplyDeleteWhat about three publishers that maintained their job when they couuld probably have one and saved the editorial staff getting canned
And still 3 publishers?
ReplyDeleteNot many online Toronto staffers are too disappointed by the loss of that particular manager by the sound of it, though the other losses are another blow to office morale.
ReplyDeleteOnce again the organization is making the holidays a cheerful place...
22:34 if I was a publisher at any paper today in the Niagara to London to Sarnia span I would not be feeling too secure right now. There will be a second phase to all this. Just wait and see
ReplyDeleteLondon staff will be fine, all of those markets are being centralized to LFP. Other smaller markets seem to be absorbed by London.
DeleteAnother Welland update - The Tribune produces two weekly papers with its existing staff, Pelham News and InPort News. Dave Johnson oversaw the InPort News. How the paper can continue producing these with its current staff complement is a mystery.
ReplyDeleteThe consequences of the cutbacks in the editorial dept is becoming quite obvious. Their articles have been getting much, much shorter and there's not as many as they used to print. They didn't print that many articles over the past year and now it's getting even worse. The stories are barely longer than the average Facebook status update.
DeleteSimilarly you wonder about the fate of thorold news.. the standard was simply using that reporter's stuff but he was laid off... cant help but think those papers' days are numbered?
DeleteRegional group editor in Interlake region of Manitoba, one staff member and 2 office staff in Leduc Alberta.
ReplyDeleteThe three circulation managers in Niagara were toasted.
ReplyDeleteincluding Karin V?
DeleteRegional distribution mgr was in Brantford. Are they all being managed from Toronto or London?
DeleteAnd in Quebec, Quebecor just sold 70+ community papers to another buyer rather than close and cut them. Different rules depending on where you are in respect to the Quebec border.
ReplyDeleteThere are community papers in Ontario that very easily could have been sold - some of which had a historic nature to them - but Quebecor just cut and run.
DeleteWho cares about Ontario's history and culture, right PKP?
"Could have been sold" They are useless shells of former days. Who would be silly enough to buy a newspaper without a most valuable peg...a press and more importantly a brand. The brand of these paper was thrown out with the wash water long ago.
DeleteYou'd be surprised. I know people have been interested in some of the papers closed by Stun Media only to be rebuffed.
DeleteThere is still at least some value to them, not that management can figure that out.
Steve Green, longtime sportswriter at the London Free Press and local union president, has left the building.
ReplyDeleteVery sad to continue reading these posts. I "left the building" a few months ago and all I can say is there is life after Sun Media but they have destroyed all the papers they swallowed up, and for what, to slash and burn them? Surely the industry isn't that bad off? But yet last November when they cut so many good people they were able to give their top executives $14 million in performance bonuses. Sounds like big corporations gone mad to me. If they were locally owned there would be local jobs, ads done in Canada - and not India - and truly local brands.
ReplyDeleteI see a couple office staff in Leduc, is alberta next in line of closures and layoffs?
ReplyDeleteThey're already happening in Alberta.
DeleteWhere in Alberta? Layoffs or closures? Or both?
ReplyDeleteDoug Herod of St. Catharines Standard to retire December 27th. No mention of whether it was a forced retirement or not, but did say the opportunity arose. He've been there for a long, long time. Well-liked by many people here in Niagara. It'll be sad to see him go.
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/herod_standard/status/413014020975632384
haliburton group of papers the echo, minden times, Bancroft this week, and barry"s bay this week sold this week to local buyers...at least these papers will be saved
ReplyDeleteIf these papers are so "saved," how come the editor, a reporter and a columnist resigned after the takeover?
DeleteI haven't heard much happening in alberta at all. besides two office staff in Leduc..
ReplyDeleteI guess the dust has settled and there is no more dirt to report
ReplyDeleteIf you watch the cycle It tends to go by quarters so the next one would be March? Never mind the large ones are always just before Christmas. SMC is a dying giant. There will be more cuts and closures, as they don't end do they? What about trimming some of the fat at head office? Unthinkable.
DeleteBelleville Intelligencer announced that city editor Chris Malette has taken a buyout after 34 years with the paper. No indication of who the other cut is from the Belleville Common Pool.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.intelligencer.ca/2013/12/26/malette-at-large-taking-the-package
When will the bullshit end?
ReplyDeleteWhen Sun Media/Quebecor gets out of the media business? I'm thinking of starting a publication in one of their markets after being cut. Why the bleep did they ever bother buying all the publications to begin with?
DeleteWait 2 more months, I see in the future many more closings. Patience people, they can't get out of their own way, still more to come.
DeleteWhich market
ReplyDeleteNiagara
DeleteThere's enough people in Niagara to easily take on what's left of Sun Media now. And take on Niagara This Week, too.
ReplyDeleteAs a former Sun Media employee in that area, I'd join forces with anyone starting a paper/product down here.
What about Alberta publications? Any word on any more papers in that province being closed?
ReplyDeleteIf you need a dedicated designer in Niagara... count me in, or one of the many others in Niagara who were laid off in the past three years.
ReplyDeleteConsolidation consolidation consolidation. Just watch. There is not a lot of optimism that things will be the same by March
ReplyDeleteCan hardly wait for it to be over. When I get my cheque and walk out the door, I'm running to the bank to cash it...who knows if there will be any money left after all of these "cost saving initiatives" kick in. The competitors LOVE Sun Media. I have two former colleges that left and moved to the "other side" while they are not much better, they do seem to ask for input from those that know what the hell is going on in the community. Times are tough no doubt about it, but many of the issues we face today are due to the fore thought Sun Media had years ago...that is sarcasm for those in the ivory tower that monitor this blog.
DeleteYes times are tough but the demise of so many Sun Media community papers I think is partly due to the fact that those in head office have zero clue of what it takes to run a community paper. They are so out of touch with reality that this was bound to happen. You are right about those in the ivory tower monitoring this blog and I find that sad, pathetic, and funny all at once. Their time would be better well spent learning what it actually takes to make a community paper work instead of snooping. I agree that competitors love Sun Media. They are laughing all the way to the bank.
Delete.... you know you have a problem when ... the newbie paper in town is able to grab a toehold and advertiser support by convincing businesses that the long established newspaper is no longer committed to 'local' and possibly on the edge of abandoning the community in the near future
DeleteSeems to be happening more and more as Sun Media loses its grip on reality. Shake your heads people at the top...you don't have the answers just the excuses, they are different
DeleteThis was the final nail for some of these papers. There's just no coming back from this. Why they're prolonging it instead of just outright closing them is a mystery.
ReplyDeleteSo pumped to hear of plans for new publications from the ashes, though. That's the future. Sun Media basically committed suicide with these last cuts. If they can't admit it, just save this post and check back a year from now.
Here's some encouragement for some of you contemplating new ventures. I'm an ex SunMedia weekly employee who saw the futility quickly, and started a hyper-local online competing news source in a small market. The readership response was immediately positive, and the numbers quite frankly have been staggering beyond our imagination. Revenue continues to grow, and our staffing does too. Meanwhile, the SunMedia paper continues to shrink in terms of size and readership, to almost inconsequentiality. Editors come and go, each with a list of promises, gambits, smear campaigns, and yes, lies about their readership that are easily proven false. What they continue to forget to put on top of their list is actual community coverage. In short, people love hyper local, and advertisers might be conservative but they figure it out and follow the readership, bit by bit, story by story, success by success.
ReplyDeleteIt can be done, it is being done, and nobody is going to miss this particular Sun. The game has changed, but news is still news, and readers are still a marketable commodity.
News out of Niagara is the union at the Review and Standard quashed management's desire to have non-union Tribune staff cover events in the union areas. Apparently they wanted to have just two weekend reporters cover events across Niagara, meaning Standard/Review staff could be in Welland and Welland staff could in St. Catharines or Niagara Falls.
ReplyDeleteWould have meant less coverage of events in all areas by spreading reporters so thin.
Good for the union stepping up, if only they had stepped up earlier for things.
It sounds like a win-win but these little 'victories' have a way of coming around a biting us in the arse. Let's all gather for a cold beer in three months and see if we really gained anything.
ReplyDeleteNice win for the union and the staff ! Sadly there are a few papers without a union to protect them and they will be the first to be swallowed up by others. Keep fighting the good fight!
ReplyDeleteThe union didn't save my job = loss
DeleteMark my words, consequences to follow.
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't noticed yet, if you are unionized, you have a target on your back. Common sense dictates if an employer can chose to keep either a unionized staff or a non-unionized staff, the non-unionized staff will be the one that keeps their job. The fact is that the Toronto Sun newsroom would have more staff and do more work for the Sun chain if it wasn't unionized. The union caused many job loses in the Toronto newsroom.
ReplyDeleteSince our paper unionized about 9 years ago we have become a shell of a paper staffing wise. Protection? Yeah right
DeleteIf they don't want unions, they simply need to get out ahead on the things unions bring, like fairness in hiring, incremental wages increases, performance reviews, money commensurate with job duties, etc. But no, they'd rather run it like a dictatorship, because that's what all the top companies are doing these days. ;)
Deletehaha come on we all need to stop using the word fairness when speaking of stun media.
DeleteLets face facts we ALL have a target on our backs. They just haven't figured out completely how to deliver a product without any people...but they will.
ReplyDeleteAgree 10:12. It doesn't matter if you are union or non union. Job losses have been everywhere in our company with union jobs suffering a very big blow. There are no protections, regardless of what anyone says. Job loss is job loss.
DeleteI should have qualified that remark made in 10:12, the only obs that are safe are the managers at the top, the rest they can live without...just ask them.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right. They are so out of touch with reality in their ivory towers that it's comical. In all of my conversations or emails with the higher ups I was stunned with their lack of understanding of anything outside of their four walls and inability to see what it takes to run a community paper. It was a sad day when Sun Media swallowed up the Bowes papers. One can only hope that someday they will not be under the umbrella anymore of Sun Media. What a joke they are in the communities because of that ownership as they continue to lose readers and advertisers, and the ivory tower is too mystified to see the solution.
DeleteI for one am sick and tired of our publisher/ad manager talking about team. When did we become a team? Does a team not have a leader, open thought? We are told what to do, when to do and...if you don't agree, well there's the door don't let it hit you in the ass on the way out. For those that think they shine by saying yes all the time, you are true Stun Media team members. Remember there is at least one Lemming that refuses to jump of the cliff with the rest.
ReplyDeleteOnly a matter of time before there is one paper in Niagara anyway. They'll have to dismantle the two union papers and make one new paper all staffed by non-union employees.
ReplyDeleteDismantling is what they do best. This is one project they won't fumble through. We are expecting the same to happen in southwest Ontario with LFP swallowing up some of the smaller papers like St. Thomas, Woodstock, Chatham. Time will tell.
ReplyDeleteConsolidation is the Step 2 on the way in 2014. The main hubs are already well known in each area in the southwest..The new model will be regional reporting teams replacing individual reporting teams at papers. If you don't believe it, come back and read this post by the end of the year
ReplyDeleteWill this just be Ontario or will it include papers in other provinces, i.e. Alberta?
DeleteWonder why they are trying to kill the business? Consolidation only will damage these hurting papers even more. Wow who makes these decisions, we know PKP isn't anymore. Could it be maybe he wasn't the one making these poor decisions...no that's not possible.
DeleteNew independent paper starting in Sarnia. Anyone know more?
ReplyDeleteThe newest independent paper is called the Sarnia Journal. Most if not all staff are former Sun Media employees.
DeleteDelivered weekly by mail go the greater sarnia area. Advertisers seemingly happy as are the readers.initial comments are praising the ownership with a truly local paper, something the community has needed for sometime. Congratulations folks give them a good fight.
One paper in Niagara with 3 publishers, or will the family be dismantled?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lfpress.com/2014/03/09/quebecors-pierre-karl-peladeau-to-run-for-pq
ReplyDeleteIs there not a law that prohibits foreign ownership of newspapers? If Quebec leaves the Confederation...what then?
DeleteWouldn't it be nice if Sun Media lost the revenue of National Advertisers.
ReplyDeleteOdd that someone would mention the loss of revenue. Had a local advertiser tell me that they will no longer be advertising in a paper that would be owned by a person that wants to allow Quebec to leave Canada. Not that the few hundred dollars wil make any impact at all but they will be speaking with other advertisers at a local chamber of commerce meeting. Takes us back to the M & M Meats fiasco...thanks for the help PKP. Best of luck to Quebec you'll get what you pay for.
DeleteCanceling subscriptions would be a good start
ReplyDeleteCanceled mine when I had to start paying for it. Now that think of it I don't see the carrier walking down to the neighbour's either hmmm.
DeleteAnd for those of us who got today's memo: three years without an increase. "Thanks for working so hard, and by the way, we need to work harder."
ReplyDeleteOh no. Last time we heard something like this they came with sickle in hand to remove those they deem redundant. I fear consolidation is in the works.
ReplyDelete