Journal Sentinel seeks $1.2 million in cuts; buyouts, furloughs to be discussed Tuesday

Milwaukee Newspaper Guild members will meet Tuesday to discuss voluntary buyouts and unpaid furloughs as an alternative to involuntary job cuts.

Journal Sentinel Inc. negotiators told the Guild last week that the company wants $1.2 million in payroll reductions from our bargaining unit -- raising the prospect of cutting newsroom jobs -- as part of $5 million in personnel spending reductions companywide. Guild bargainers responded by calling for talks on buyouts, to be followed by negotiations on furloughs if needed.

After two days of bargaining, the management team said it would give us a buyout package by early April, then come back to the table to discuss furloughs. The buyout offer is likely to provide a very short window for employees to accept it, so anyone who may be interested should be prepared to decide quickly. We have no details of what the buyout terms may be, other than management’s statement that they would not be the same as the last two buyouts.

Guild leaders have called a special membership meeting for noon Tuesday, at Turner Hall, to discuss the situation. Lunch will be provided.

If the package negotiated by the Guild is insufficient to meet the company’s target, management said it would use involuntary cuts to get the rest of the way to its goal. Had the Guild refused to negotiate and allowed the company to reach the target entirely through job cuts, as many as 24 positions could have been lost. But that number includes lower-paid full-timers and part-timers, so fewer people would need to leave if a voluntary buyout attracts some higher-paid employees.

One-week unpaid furloughs for everyone would save about $240,000. The company also offered the options of wage cuts (about $120,000 for each 1% reduction) and the complete elimination of all differential pay, saving $150,000.

The next bargaining sessions are set for April 13, 14 and 15.