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Topic: Miscellaneous items
Date/Time: 5/25/2005 11:30:04 AM
Title: NYT executive editor's memo re cutbacks
Posted By: Jim Romenesko
 
May 25, 2005

Subject: Message from Bill Keller

To the Staff:

Arthur and Janet announced today that the Times Company is embarking on a program of limited staff reductions as a way of coming to grips with a challenging advertising market and the cloudy economic outlook. The Times newspaper is looking to reduce about 130 positions, drawn from both the business side and, to a much lesser extent, the newsroom.

As you know, we have increased the staff in the newsroom over the last 18 months to take on a number of new journalistic missions, and we will
continue to make select hires as needed to maintain the strength and
competitiveness of our newsgathering team. That being said, we have also concluded we can tolerate a slight contraction in staffing in certain parts of the newsroom, by reorganizing and consolidating duties in a way
that will not damage the paper.

As a result, the newsroom is aiming for a reduction of about 20 positions
by offering separation packages among a limited pool of staff members, including some reporters, some editors and some support and administrative staff. In each of these cases, the position would disappear with the person. While these reductions will come from the ranks of both our excluded and Guild-represented employees, it is important to emphasize they will be purely voluntary in nature.

In the coming days, we will begin discussions with the Guild on the details of the reduction plan. Because of our contract with the Guild, if
we make an offer to anyone in a specific position, it must go to everyone in the department who holds that same title.

We expect the separation packages will be offered to fewer than 150 of the newsroom's 1,200 employees, and only in those few departments or places where we believe we can absorb the loss of a position or two without taking away from our journalism. If more people in a department ask for the package than we can afford to lose, seniority will be a factor in choosing.

We will provide further details as they become available. Meanwhile, if
you have any questions about these proposed reductions, please get in
touch with John Geddes or Bill Schmidt.

Bill Keller

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