The NewsGuild of Greater Philadelphia

LAYOFF PLANS CANCELED!!

November 10, 2020billrossGuild News, Inquirer, Media

Dear Friends: Stop and let out a collective exhale: The layoffs that were planned for this week will not be happening. The Company just held a brief meeting with the two of us to say it “doesn’t make sense” to proceed with job eliminations at this time. Given the election results, the Company said it […]

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NewsGuild 2021 Officers

November 3, 2020billrossInquirer

          OFFICIAL NEWSGUILD ELECTION NOTICE      THE FOLLOWING CANDIDATES WERE ELECTED TO SERVE AS OFFICERS OF LOCAL 38010 FOR 2021. PRESIDENT                                           SECRETARY                           TREASURER DIANE MASTRULL                               DONNA STOKES                  ERIC CHURN    3 VICE PRESIDENTS                         MELANIE BURNEY     AMY ROSENBERG     CARL MELINE ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————- INQUIRER/LOCAL EXECUTIVE BOARD OFFICERS FOR 2021 UNIT CHAIRPERSON                               VICE […]

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2021 Guild Local Officer Nominations.

October 26, 2020billrossInquirer

President Mastrull opened the meeting with the following statement:  The tension and hurt feelings that have challenged The Inquirer/Daily News family these past several fraught months have not skipped the Guild’s Executive Board.  I read a quote yesterday about needing to see each other to heal in these times of isolation and despair. Until we […]

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Layoffs Delayed

October 22, 2020billrossInquirer

Dear Friends: Without any explanation, the Company has informed me and Bill Ross that “we are pushing the layoffs back to the week of 11/9.” The skeptics among us will think: “Hmmm. Is that because we’re heading into a very busy news cycle for the next few weeks and need every journalist? Then they’ll cut […]

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NEWSROOM LAYOFFS TO PROCEED.

October 19, 2020billrossInquirer

Dear Guild Members: Bill Ross and I met with the Company this morning to once again urge against any layoffs in the newsroom.We asserted that 500 layoffs out at the plant are devastating enough and that our “premium on journalism” underscores why we cannot afford to lose anyone in the newsroom at this time. We […]

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THE SPP CLOSURE

October 9, 2020billrossInquirer

Dear friends: It is with great frustration and a heavy heart that we learn today that some 500 of our colleagues at The Inquirer will lose their jobs as a result of the Company’s decision to end printing operations by the end of the year and send that work to Gannett in Cherry Hill. These […]

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GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING GUILD LOCAL OFFICER NOMINATIONS

October 6, 2020billrossInquirer

Guild Members, Please join us at one of two General Membership meeting sessions (or both if you like!) on Oct. 26, scheduled for noon and 2 p.m., at which nominations for officers are encouraged and a variety of business and issues will be addressed, and any questions answered. It is that time of year for […]

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Buyout/Layoff Update

October 2, 2020billrossInquirer

Dear colleagues: The Company met with me and Bill Ross this morning to update us on the reception to the latest expanded buyout offer and the process that comes next. Three people have come forward to accept the latest offer, thus saving the jobs of three of eight targeted layoffs. We owe each of them […]

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AN EXPANDED BUYOUT OFFER

September 22, 2020billrossInquirer

Dear Guild members: The Company informed Bill Ross and me yesterday that it intended to proceed with 8 layoffs in the Inquirer newsroom as a result of not reaching the desired 12 takers of the buyout offered in July. We urged the Company to reconsider such a demoralizing, destructive, unimaginative course of action. Forcing 8 […]

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WE NEED YOUR IDEAS!

September 15, 2020billrossInquirer

Dear Guild Members: Recognizing just how tough the challenge for working parents of young children now is because of the pandemic and its impact on schools and child-care facilities, The New York Times Co. has started offering parent employees a stipend as much as $600 a week for childcare and in-person tutoring. So far, The […]

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