The shrinking Merc

The San Jose Mercury News, the closest thing Silicon Valley has to a hometown paper, is gutting its editorial staff. Management's told the newspaper's union that as many as 69 journalist jobs will go. The cutbacks aren't unexpected. The Merc's been losing classified revenue to online competitors, primarily Craigslist. The newspaper's been through three owners in the last year, being passed from Knight-Ridder, to McClatchy, and then onto MediaNews, which owns the Oakland Tribune and other Bay Area newspapers. To think that, once upon a time, it seemed as though the Merc would translate its print monopoly in Silicon Valley into a power in online tech news coverage. This is how the dream ends. The announcement email, after the jump.

Beginning Monday evening and through Tuesday mid-morning, the company said it will tell as many as 69 Guild members that they will be laid off.

Thanks to everyone for your continued exceptional work during these difficult times. Please remember that there should be no stigma attached to being laid off and that Guild members will stand by and support anyone who loses his or her job. You should be proud of your role in building an excellent newspaper.
Key Contact: Guild Executive Officer Luther Jackson will be available seven days a week as your key contact for layoff-related questions and concerns. He can be reached at luther@sjguild.org or at 408-436-0761 (work), 408-729-5586 (home) and 408-506-3646 (cell).

Layoff Announcement Process: Here's what the company said it intends to do: Managers will inform business-side employees who are laid off with telephone calls to their homes between 6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, December 4. Those employees will be given an appointment to come to HR sometime on Tuesday the 5th. Editorial staffers will be called Tuesday morning between 8:00-10:00 and be given HR appointments on Dec. 5, 6 or 7. Luther will be in the Guild office from 7:15-9:00 p.m. on Monday, December 4 and starting at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, December 5.

Personal and Company Property: As soon as the calls are made, the company will cut off affected employees' access to all Mercury News computer systems. At the HR sessions, the company will demand their employee badges, keys and any other Mercury News property. Any access to computer files after receiving the lay-off phone call must be made by request to a manager who can retrieve specific files requested by the employee. Any access to personal belongings in the plant must be arranged with HR and a manager will act as an escort. The company said it plans to give most laid-off employees access to their desks, with a manager present, on the weekend of Dec. 9 and 10.

There are several things ALL Guild members should consider doing, or not doing, BEFORE MONDAY:

DO: Retrieve all personal files and information from Mercury News computers and store them on a non-Mercury system. Remove all personal property from Mercury News' premises.
DO: Collect all evidence of solid work history. The Guild can fight each layoff through the contract's grievance and arbitration procedure. It is helpful if Guild members can collect any and all positive statements, including all evaluations and memos etc. from supervisors, customers and news sources. If supervisors have praised you verbally, please write yourself a memo capturing your recollection of that conversation. Access to this information may be limited if you wait until after you are laid off.

DO NOT: The Mercury News on Tuesday announced it was soliciting voluntary retirements and resignations. DO NOT VOLUNTEER UNTIL YOU HAVE TALKED TO LUTHER JACKSON. The company has yet to provide the Guild with key information, as required in the contract, that will help determine whether a voluntary resignation or retirement actually will save a colleague's job. VOLUNTEERING TO LEAVE WITHOUT THIS INFORMATION COULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON YOU AND MAY NOT SAVE ANY JOBS. All information given to Luther will be held in the strictest confidence.

IF INFORMED YOU WILL BE LAID OFF, there are several things you should do:

DO: Email or call Luther as soon as possible and recount what was said during the conversation. Please give the Guild your private email address and home phone number. All information will be kept in strict confidence.

DO: If you like, a Guild representative of your choice can go with you to your HR appointment and/or to collect your personal belongings from your desk. Please let Luther know if you would like a Guild member to join you.

DO: At your appointment with HR request a letter that specifically states you were terminated by the company. This will aid in the process of collecting unemployment insurance. Immediately, please contact Luther or Suzanne Arnaud at suzanne@sjguild.org to learn how to start the process of collecting unemployment insurance.

DO: If any manager says or emails anything to you that you do not understand or is confusing please write down your question and the manager's unclear answer and inform Luther.

OTHER HELPFUL INFORMATION

Severance pay: If you are vested in the pension plan — with five years at the Mercury News or a former KR paper or a MediaNews paper — you cannot cash out your Part A — lump sum — severance benefit without incurring a 12.5 percent tax penalty if you are not at least 59.5 years old. This penalty is in addition to the combined federal and state lump-sum tax of 26 percent to 28 percent. You can roll over your severance into an IRA or other retirement investment vehicle and not be penalized. Call Luther or Suzanne for more information.
Job Search and Unemployment Insurance information: The Guild will sponsor another information session in the coming weeks for those who are laid-off. The presentation, well received by Guild members on Monday, will provide information about unemployment benefits as well as top-notch free services regarding job listings, job search workshops, career advice, resume review, job openings in your specialty and training information. These presentations will be led by officials from EDD, two workforce investment networks and the Labor Council's community resources office. Luther has written materials at the Guild office.

Jobs bank: The Guild's jobs banks is up and running at www.sjguild.org < http://www.sjguild.org> If you know of job openings, please send detailed information or a link to Luther at Luther@sjguild.org. We plan to set up an email group of current and former members who are interested in staying in touch and sharing job leads. If you want to be part of the group, please email Luther with a request to join the list-serv and your private email.

Emergency Assistance Fund: We have opened a fund through the Working Partnerships USA and the South Bay Labor Council to provide financial assistance for Guild members and their families hurt by the layoffs. Please make your check payable to "Working Partnerships — UCR" and write "Mercury News/Guild Fund" on the memo line. Please mail your tax-deductible donation to: Working Partnerships — UCR Mercury News/Guild Fund 2102 Almaden Road, Suite 107 San Jose, CA 95125. You can also drop off a check with Julie Sevrens Lyons, Steve Yvaska or Gary Richards at the Mercury News.

GUILD BARGAINING COMMITTEE
Becky Bartindale: becky@sjguild.org
Nick Warner: trickpony1@aol.com
Mary Anne Ostrom: truffles1124@yahoo.com
Dennis Uyeno: dennis.uyeno@gmail.com
Barry Witt: fivebucksaside@yahoo.com
Suzanne Arnaud: Suzanne@sjguild.org
Luther Jackson: Luther@sjguild.org
Bruce Meachum: Bmeachum@cwa-union.org
Darren Carroll: Darrencarroll@email.com

________________________________
Luther Jackson
Executive Officer
San Jose Newspaper Guild
TNG/CWA Local 39098
Luther@SJGuild.org
www.SJGuild.org

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