PUBLISHER EGGER ANNOUNCES LAYOFFS ARE COMING
In two meetings today with staff at 801 Market St., new publisher Terry Egger announced the company was moving ahead to merge the company’s three news entities (the Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com) into one newsroom that would feed the three properties and that layoff announcements would be forthcoming. Egger gave no details. No one from the company has spoken to the Guild about any specifics regarding the merger or the layoffs. The company has to provide the Guild with 15 days written notice, prior to creating the combined functions. In the event that the combination will result in a layoff, the layoff notice period will be 30 days.
We will send a more detailed response after the company meets with us to lay out its plans. We will, of course, do everything we can to avoid layoffs to Guild members and make the process as transparent and humane as possible.
In solidarity and disgust,
Bill Ross
Howard Gensler
Diane Mastrull
