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.
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?
Whatever. I can top that.
Citi Plans 9,000 More Job Cuts in 2Q