Gannett is at it again.
The media company is coming at employees with another early-retirement package that targets those in the 55-and-over crowd.
The reason I'm making my readers aware of this, of course, is because the Des Moines Register and the Iowa City Press Citizen are both Gannett newspapers.
And both papers have been hit with savage attacks by the parent Gannett Co. in recent years.
Gannett's firings, layoffs and offers of retirement packages to workers 55 and older have brutally reduced the work forces at the Register, the Press Citizen and most other papers in the chain.
Some newspaper staffs are now so thin that papers can be published in a phone booth.
I know a number of 55-and-over employees at the Register. I'm sure all of 'em think the paper can't get along without them. That's what a lot of other 55-and-overs thought in past years, of course. Some were given the chance to accept buyouts from Gannett, some weren't.
Indeed some were escorted to the door by security people.
No retirement coffee. No retirement cake baked by Hy-Vee, ex-Register food editor Jennifer Miller or anyone else. No chance to say goodbye to their colleagues.
They were simply told to leave the building alongside the security guy.
For some of those who thought the paper couldn't survive without them, the boss had different ideas.
Something like, "You'd better take that buyout, or the company will send you out the door without a buyout."
Courtesy of Romenesko.com, here's yesterday's letter to Gannett Co. employes from CEO Bob Dickey:
Good Morning,
I wanted to let you know that today we are offering eligible, long-term Gannett employees within certain business segments and departments of our company the opportunity to take advantage of an early retirement program.
The employees who are receiving the offer all satisfy the criteria of being 55 years of age or older with at least 15 years of service as of October 12, 2015. This program provides an incentive for employees who voluntarily want to take advantage of retiring at this point in their career. This offer is completely voluntary and it is solely up to those eligible employees as to whether they wish to accept it. As with any retirement decision, we are encouraging eligible employees to speak with family and trusted advisers before accepting to assess their financial and lifestyle needs. We will finalize acceptances after the 45-day consideration period has closed, which ends Oct. 12, 2015.
The Early Retirement Opportunity Program also provides the company flexibility to reinvest in the key components of our three-year plan and better align our structure to become a next generation media company.
Taking this action provides a benefit to employees who wish to retire while allowing us to remain focused on operating as one company, providing exceptional, engaging content tailored to our readers’ interests and tastes. We also will continue to lead with digital, rapidly seizing the many opportunities presented by new and emerging technologies. And, importantly, we are working hard on ways to reinvest in our employees and the culture here we offer at Gannett.
We appreciate our colleagues’ outstanding efforts – their contributions have supported and strengthened the foundation of our company. We will keep the momentum strong as we continue to move forward with our ongoing strategy to create a New Gannett and a new future.
Best regards,
Bob Dickey
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My sympathies to you if you believe any of that crap.
Gannett wants to get rid of more people, and the company is starting with the old folks [old meaning 55 and over], who supposedly are making the most money.
I've got several friends in that group.
I wish them the best.
By the way, we usually meet every Wednesday afternoon for pie and coffee.
The pie is free.
That makes it taste even better, whether you've accepted a buyout or not.
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Jim Romenesko, owner of Romenesko.com, followed up on his original story of the Gannett Co. buyout. He wrote:
What are the specifics of the offer, Gannett employees? Please email me the details.
UPDATE ON THE OFFER: “Two weeks pay per year for 25+ years, capped at one year. 1.5 weeks pay per year for all others being offered,” writes a Gannett employee who is eligible for the deal.
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In reference to the above-mentioned pie, plus any other type of food, here's something from Iowa Free Press.com:
Des Moines Register food columnist Jennifer Miller resigned from her position weeks after she admitted to lying in one of her articles.
Miller has been working at the Register since 1988, primarily covering topics related to food and beverages. In her May 5 column, Miller reported that she participated in a sauce-tasting event for Jethro’s restaurant on April 27. Shortly after the article was published, she confessed that she did not attend.
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| Jennifer Miller |
As Miller writes in the opening paragraph of her May 11 column, “First, I need to tell you something. I lied.” According to her, she was on vacation the week before the tasting and “had to work ahead.” When she was done with work that Friday, she said she became ill and rested at home for the next four days.
“So I haven’t tasted the wing sauces,” Miller writes, “but I know they’re all delicious, because Jethro’s wings just are.”
--Iowa Free Press.com
[RON MALY'S COMMENTS--I'm sorry this happened. I don't know Jennifer Miller, but I read some of her food stories and commentary. I liked them all. I wish Jennifer Miller the best.]
