Union: Detroit Papers Plan Job Cuts, Less Delivery

[TomClash]

Source: WDIV

DETROIT -- Detroit's newspapers plan to cut 9 percent of their work force and offer fewer days of home delivery at a time of slumping revenue industrywide, a union official told Local 4 Tuesday.

It's unclear where the cuts will fall at the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News, Teamsters' Local 372 secretary-treasurer Ron Renaud said. He spoke after a meeting Tuesday morning with Detroit Media Partnership executives.

"They took a long hard look," said Renaud, whose union represents drivers, district managers and mailers with the Detroit Media Partnership. "They feel they need to do something to maintain two newspapers."

However, people at the Detroit Free Press said none of their newsroom employees will be cut.

A message seeking comment was left with a Detroit Media Partnership spokeswoman.

Renaud said the Free Press will be delivered Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays starting in March, while The News will be delivered Thursdays and Fridays. The News doesn't publish a Sunday paper.

Read more: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/18288845/detail.html

[navarth]

1. They'd have one more subscription right here if they hadn't broken the strike.

But I'm not going to buy those fucking papers after what they did. I had friends that were badly hurt in that strike. They put their finances on the line for what's right and they ended up bankrupt.

[sarcasmo]

2. My son delivers and goes to college, he called me today and said he is down to three days.

I tried to calm him down and get him not to quite and remind him that I have been out of work since April.

[TomClash]

3. Don't quit is a good message

No one is hiring.

[sarcasmo]

4. He said two people left the day it was announced to deliver the Macomb Daily.

He is upset about the money but glad he doesn't have to do it seven days a week. It doesn't start until March.

[blue_onyx]

5. It seems likely that they will lose a lot more subscribers

If you chose to get the paper delivered 3 days a week and get the digital email version, it will be $12. The email version will allow you to read the paper in the format it appears in print. That seems kind of pointless...you may as well just read it for free in the online format. For me, I would be paying $12 for the 3 days of delivery ($4 per paper) rather than $13 for 7 days of delivery ($1.86 per paper) since I probably wouldn't utilize the email version. It seems like people will be paying a lot more for a lot less.

[Bozita]

6. Hmmm ...

Q: Can I make a separate arrangement with my carrier to deliver the newspaper to my home all seven days?

A: The Detroit Media Partnership has no plans to offer for sale bulk copies on days without home delivery.

The above is from the end of the Q&A regarding the change at the Freep: http://www.freep.com/article/20081216/FREEPRESS/81216034