CHRONICLE UNIT BULLETIN

More than 80 to be accepted for severance deal

Layoffs may be too few to trigger 60-day notice rule

27 Mar 2009

Media Workers Guild

Because of the large number of employees volunteering for termination during The Chronicle's voluntary termination period, the WARN Act provisions requiring 60 days advance notice of involuntary layoffs may not be triggered.

As of today, The Chronicle had more than 80 voluntary termination applications and expected to accept nearly all of them, according to management sources.

If subsequent involuntary layoffs occur at a rate of fewer than 50 per month, then Hearst's goal of reaching approximately 150 staff cuts could be spread over the next two months. If this occurs, the company would have no legal need to give the 60-day notice provided for under the WARN Act.

Here is the key point that Guild members need to understand: Members holding out for an involuntary layoff on the presumption that they would get 60 days of employment because of the WARN Acts provisions should be aware that this scenario quite possibly will not happen.

Some members have said that they would not apply for the voluntary termination package and would, instead, wait for the layoff in order to get 60 days notice and the additional pay involved. Given the current situation, however, the Guild advises against taking this course of action because it appears there is a good possibility that the 60 days additional notice with pay won't materialize.

Remember that after April 3*, no member regardless of age can receive the Supplemental Pension Benefit as a lump sum and all will have to take it as a monthly annuity. So if the Supplemental Pension Benefit as a lump sum from the Guild Pension Plan is important to you, and if the 60 days notice you were counting on is no longer a solid possibility, and you are certain you want to leave The Chronicle, we suggest that you should strongly consider volunteering to terminate your employment by the 5 p.m. March 31 deadline.

COBRA: We expect to have more clarification on COBRA and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, hopefully by Friday.

Unemployment workshops: More presentations on navigating unemployment will be held next week. These 90-minute presentations will cover applying for unemployment and unemployment resources. The workshops are 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, and noon and 2 p.m. Thursday, April 2, in the Golden Gate Conference Room at The Chronicle, 901 Mission St.

Members with any questions or suggestions can contact a shop steward or e-mail Unit Chair Michelle Devera, Local President Mike Cabanatuan or Unit Secretary Alissa Van Cleave.

*Date corrected.


Michelle Devera, Unit chair, michelleatsfchronunit@gmail.com
Mike Cabanatuan, Local president, ctuan@aol.com
Alissa Van Cleave, Unit secretary, vancleave44@hotmail.com


In solidarity,


Doug Cuthbertson, executive officer, dcuthbertson@mediaworkers.org