Posted on 11/17/2009 4:06:24 PM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The US news agency the Associated Press (AP) laid off dozens of employees on Tuesday as part of a plan to reduce its global payroll by 10 percent this year, a union statement said.
The News Media Guild, which covers some 1,300 AP editorial and technology unit staffers in the United States, said it did not have an exact number of layoffs because management had not yet formally notified it of the move.
The Guild said it had been informed by members of more than 38 layoffs affecting Guild-covered managers, reporters, editors, photographers, and editorial assistants.
It said 20 jobs were cut at AP headquarters in New York and eight jobs in Puerto Rico. The Guild said it did not know how many managerial or non-US employees were let go.
"This is a very sad day for our AP colleagues and the public who relies on their important news work," said News Media Guild president Tony Winton.
AP spokesman Paul Colford declined to comment on the reports of layoffs but noted that AP president and chief executive Tom Curley outlined plans a year ago to cut payroll costs.
"We remain committed toward our goal of reducing the AP's global payroll cost by 10 percent in 2009," Colford told AFP.
A hiring freeze has been in place at the AP and about 100 employees accepted a voluntary early retirement package earlier this year.
The Guild said the layoffs were the largest since 2006 when 100 technology workers were let go.
The AP, a cooperative which is owned by 1,500 daily US newspapers, employs around 4,000 people, including 3,000 editorial staff.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Wow, the Associated Press reports some good news for a change.
OH Abb did you hear about this
Hopenchange, hopenchange. Don’t ya just love it? More where that came from.
Yes. Posted it at noon today.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388339/posts
AP Layoffs Coming Down Today? (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)
Gawker ^ | November 17, 2009 | Hamilton Nolan
Posted on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 12:01:14 PM by abb
Yeah, they don’t state where the layoffs are from, but clearly not enough in the U.S.
AP needed to cut 10% from it’s payroll. So why didn’t they just cut the top guys who have been calling the shots rather poorly?
I remain committed to working toward the day the AssPress is bankrupt, with no liberals to employ.
The vast majority of cuts made today were editorial assistants, but the AP kept terror propagandist Bilal Hussein on the payroll.
dozens doesn’t sound like very much.
Makes sense. If you don’t actually report the news anymore, you don’t need employees now do you?
AP staff funemployed? How many will use their time off to write that novel they were destined to write? /sarc
as part of a plan to reduce its global payroll by 10 percent this yearHey, I'm glad we could help out.
To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, one must have a heart of stone to read this account of the tragic layoffs at AP without bursting out laughing.
Start layoffs with the ELEVEN AP total hacks who tried character assassinate Sarah.... and failed!
AP writers: Matt Apuzzo, Sharon Theimer, Tom Raum, Rita Beamish, Beth Fouhy, H. Josef Hebert, Justin D. Pritchard, Garance Burke, Dan Joling and Lewis Shaine contributed to a 600 word faked “report.”
Wow. That’s ten “AP writers” plus Calvin Woodward, the AP writer whose twinkling pen honed the above contributions into the turgid sludge of the actual report.
You got me! LOL!
Too bad these AP jobs couldn’t be saved with the stimulus funding. Afterall, 5,000 jobs were created or saved in 96th Congressional District of Rhode Island.
/sarc.
>> 38 layoffs affecting Guild-covered managers, reporters, editors, photographers, and editorial assistants.
(waving): “Buh bye! Write when you find work!”
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