TorStar, Gazette plan massive layoffs

Toronto Star owner TorStar has announced it is cutting 160 jobs (of which 122 are apparently voluntary buyouts) most of which involve its Internet operation including 10 people at a redundant Internet division. No word on what they plan to replace it with, though I imagine they’ll try replacing it with outsourced work that involve either non-journalist Internet professionals or non-unionized cheap labour.

Buried in that story is an announcement from The Gazette’s union, the Montreal Newspaper Guild (of which I am a member), which says the paper is gutting its Reader Sales and Service department (the people who deal with subscriptions), replacing 46 union jobs by centralizing operations chain-wide in Winnipeg. The union is fighting the move, which it says violates a clause in the collective agreement that prohibits outsourcing jobs.

2 thoughts on “TorStar, Gazette plan massive layoffs

  1. Christopher DeWolf

    I have a friend who works in customer service for the Gazette. Since it’s just a part-time gig for her, being laid off isn’t bad, especially since the severance package is okay and the pay was good. But for full-time, long-term employees, it must be tough. I believe these employees were being paid $18+ per hour… how much do you want to bet the new jobs in Winnipeg will be minimum-wage and non-unionized?

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