Anything from Lansing?

[Gannettoid]

Comment on the blog says layoffs have started there.

[Guest]

so far, a person in circulation has been let go.

[veronica]

The circ. director is the one so far.

[Guest]

Three total so far in circulation.

[Guest]

Business controller out.

[Gannettoid]

From the Blog:

Lansing cut 5 in circ including the director. 2 in business including the controller. Still more in circ to come and News cuts will come tomorrow.

Any source?

[Gannettoid]

From the Blog, will Lansing move its printing, which recently took on Battle Creek paper?

--Remember that a few months ago a retired pressman was telling people that he heard all Michigan sites wouuld be printing at the new Detroit plant before year-end. That left open questions about consolidation of copy editing functions.

--Publisher Brian Priester spent a day in Detriot last week. Have not heard why, but doesn't take much to speculate that printing is moving, so "production" director becomes "operations" director.

--The two director-level people who were dismissed came from departments where there were two executive-level positions and only one was kept. (The remaining circ executive is a former CD at other Mich locations; there is still a finance director on site after the departure of the controller.) There is one more dept. with two executive level managers: News. Will both the EE and ME be standing at 5 p.m. Thursday? Stay tuned ......

[Guest]

What are the names of person let go

[Gannettoid]

From an anonymous tipster:
It's just started in advertising. News cuts are next.

[Watching]

It's been more than an hour since the last post. Any updates?

[Guest]

No e-mail from the publisher yesterday or today. No information given to us on who's lost their jobs in which departments.

Rumor has it there may be more tomorrow.

Did Priester study under Torquemada? This whole thing couldn't have been handled in a worse, less sensitive way.

[Guest]

I agree - horrible, horrible! I blame those in the know. Shame on you. How much do you want to make a bet there will be more tomorrow? Priester sent a note yesterday about Hook and the circ gang - but never said anything about how many to come or when they would be complete or what the plan was. Un-f***-ing believable.

[guest]

You have to remember that this is hard on the folks doing the layoff ... that's probably why they are spreading it out.

[Guest]

More tomorrow? Serious?
Can anyone confirm that six were let go in advertising and two in the newsroom?

[guest]

Ellen (a copy editor) and Pam (the long-time librarian) were both let go from news. I just can't believe it.

[Guest]

You have to remember that this is hard on the folks doing the layoff ... that's probably why they are spreading it out.

Are you kidding me? In this Michigan economy? It's hard on YOU?? This ain't about you - or your slimy co-horts. Your comfort is of no concern to anyone here. Upper echelon: you disgust me. Don't ever think for one minute that anyone will ever feel sorry for you, except maybe your buds who are probably toasting another good round. You better hang on to those friends - they're the only ones you got.

[Guest]

One of my coworkers is on vacation and his supervisor does not know if he is laid off or not.

I can't believe this shit, but they are not done. I guess they didn't want to interrupt vacations with layoff news, so the plan is not to tell those people until they return, most likely next week.

OK, but there are also people on vacation who are NOT being laid off. And they won't tell us who is safe because they don't want us to figure anything out and warn the people who might be going.

Riiiiight. So now EVERYONE on vacay is probably going to get a call from a friend warning them they might be a goner. I would not be surprised if most of those people who are on vacay turn up in the office tomorrow demanding to know their fate.

[Guest]

Oh, they are not done by a long shot. Because this won't end. LSJ is in a downward spiral and there is no parachute. And the bigger they are, the harder they will fall.

[Guest]

Wow. At least three of the people gone were there when I started there 25 years ago. Guess they were getting too close to being able to collect a full pension to keep them around any longer. I'm glad I got out voluntarily 6 years ago. I saw the direction things were headed, but I had no idea they'd get this bad.

[Guest]

Heard that the (position removed) in Lansing will be let go later this afternoon.

I don't think that's going to happen. She was at work today, so if she was on the list, they would have done it.

Pub sent an email after hours that said total will be 28, and notifications are not finished but "everyone who was scheduled to work today" who was on the lay off list was notified. I'm home now and don't have the email. Someone will post it, I'm sure.