It’s maybe less newsworthy than their other efforts this month to name names, but reporter bylines are back at The Chronicle Herald.
For all of November, journalists had pulled their names from the Herald’s stories in protest of sweeping newsroom layoffs announced on Halloween.
Originally, 20 reporters, editors and photographers were set to lose their jobs. This weekend, the Halifax Typographical Union voted in favour of concession which drop the number of “layoffs” down to two.
Last week, Herald president and CEO Mark Lever told News 95.7’s Rick Howe that those would be “voluntary” layoffs, and he was happy that the number of departing workers was able to be reduced.
Regardless of the 20 staff originally to be laid off, 15 Herald columnists, reporters, editors and newsroom employees have taken early retirement or buyout packages over the last six weeks. So, the paper has cut off 17 employees, as a way to save 20.
“The last month has been a difficult time for those of us who work in the newsroom of The Chronicle Herald,” reads yesterday’s post on the "Friends of the Chronicle Hearld Newsroom" Facebook page. “Our newsroom may be smaller, but those of us who remain are committed to delivering the outstanding work you expect from the Chronicle Herald.”
Management had been looking for concessions from the union on pension contributions, mileage pay, and deferring a two percent pay increase. It would appear those have been approved.
I’ll have a lot more on the Herald’s reduced newsroom and its business plans for survival in this week’s Coast.
