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Q&A about Times layoffs
Does The Seattle Times have the right to do layoffs whenever it wants?
The contract gives the employer the right to determine the size of the workforce, and to do layoffs for economy reasons. Language that defines how layoffs happen is in Article 4.
How do I know what my seniority date is?
If you don’t remember your hire date, you can e-mail or call the union, or check with a shop steward. We sent seniority lists to shop stewards for posting, but we’re not posting the lists on our Web site for privacy reasons. (Shop stewards are listed on the union Web site at www.pnwguild.org.) The seniority lists have employees’ names, job titles and dates of hire. If you need a list, both the union version and the Times version, e-mail the office at info@pnwguild.org.
What if I have a concern that my seniority date is incorrect?
Let the union and your supervisor know immediately. We have received messages and phone calls from people double-checking on seniority. It’s important to get the dates right, so take action if you believe your hire date is incorrect.
Have you found discrepancies between the Times seniority list and the Guild list?
Yes, and we check them out when we find them.
What happens if someone is laid off out of seniority order?
If you are laid off out of seniority order, you should ask for the reason why in writing. Then you should call the Guild. The contract language allows the employer to retain a junior employee if there are “significant differences in qualifications for the particular function,” or “special abilities demonstrably not available from the more senior employee.” This determination is up to the employer, but it can be grieved and challenged all the way to arbitration. Please inform the union if you know of anyone laid off out of seniority order.
We don’t have much time to decide on the “expressions of interest.” What’s the hurry?
A Guild committee met with Times officials Thursday and asked that question. We also asked for the Times to extend the deadline for EOIs by one week. A representative from Labor Relations said the company wants to achieve the savings as soon as possible. However, employees in News report that a manager confirmed the urgency was related to the company’s need to remain in compliance with its loan covenants.
There are rumors that this is the last buyout that will be offered. Is that true?
It’s impossible to say. The Times has not said that to the union. The severance that is being offered is more than required by the Guild/CWA contracts. Presumably, the company wants to see if it can trim the workforce by encouraging people who are ready and willing to go, as opposed to reducing the force through involuntary layoffs.
Is this severage package as good as the one offered in 2005, during the last big round of layoffs?
No. The severance package offered in 2005 was up to 52 weeks of pay and up to 18 months of subsidized COBRA coverage. This package is up to 26 weeks of pay and up to 12 months of subsidized COBRA coverage.
What does the union recommend to people thinking of putting in an EOI?
If you are financially able to leave, and emotionally ready to do so, it would be better to submit an EOI than it would be to miss the deadline. It’s an individual decision that is difficult to make, but if you’re ready, now is probably a good time to exit. The deadline is Monday morning at 9 a.m.
How many people have the right to “bump back” into a previously held job?
About a half dozen people, mostly in Advertising, have bump-back rights. Under the contract, an employee who is designated for layoff has the right to return to a department and job classification from which he was previously transferred or promoted, and in which he held a regular full-time job—as long as the service was in the previous 36 months. If you think you qualify, talk to your supervisor.
Why won’t the Zone Reporters get slotted in with the regular Reporter staff prior to any layoffs?
Zone Reporters and Reporters are in two different classifications. There is no contract language that requires the two classifications to be mixed in the event of layoff. Seniority is by continuous length of service with the company, within job classifications.
I work in News as a Reporter and have more seniority that a News Resident. Does the contract require the Times to eliminate jobs of News Residents before those of other employees?
No. The company must dismiss short-term temporary employees, who are employed for six months or less, before it lays off regular employees. News Residents are “temporary” in that the contract limits their employment to three years, unless they are hired into a full-time regular job. But the company isn’t required to lay off News Residents before it lays off employees from other classifications.
I think seniority sucks. Why is it so important?
Well, seniority is one of those things that people hate when they don’t have it and love when they do. Historically, unions bargained seniority language to reward longevity and to fight age discrimination. Age discrimination is illegal, but proving it can be difficult and fighting it in court can be costly. Seniority means a company can’t arbitrarily target older, longer-term and better-paid employees for dismissal. Age discrimination may still occur, but it’s less likely to happen with seniority protections in place.
I am the only person in my job classification. Do I have the right to move to another classification to avoid layoff, based on seniority?
Generally, no, unless you have the right to “bump back” to a job you held in the previous 36 months.
I am an Assistant District Advisor in Circulation. When is my deadline to volunteer for layoff?
Layoffs of District Advisors and Assistant District Advisors are scheduled to take effect July 11, after the redesign of home delivery routes is complete. The official two-week period to volunteer for layoff will occur in June, four weeks in advance of the layoff.
Why weren’t EOIs solicited from sales people in Advertising?
The Times says it isn’t seeking EOIs from people in sales positions because it needs sales people! There has been increased turnover in Advertising and the company has had a hard time finding qualified applicants for sales positions. The Times needs people in sales positions to generate revenue. In addition, the Times doesn’t want to seek EOIs from people it will have to replace.
Will severance payments include something to account for incentives paid to Advertising and Circulation employees?
No, severance payments are based only on hourly pay, years of service and work week (the number of hours you work).
How would severance payments be figured for employees in job shares?
We put that question to the Times Labor Relations crew, and they were somewhat flummoxed. Severance would be based on your rate of pay and years of service, and the number of hours you work per week would have an impact. You must be receiving insurance benefits to be eligible for the COBRA subsidy, so only the employee receiving benefits in a job share would be eligible.
What is the union doing to help people who will lose their jobs?
We are providing information, advice and reached agreement with the Times on payment of severance. People have begun to post job leads on the Guild blog at www.pnwguild.org. The Guild also maintains a Membership Assistance Fund through the Puget Sound Labor Agency, which provides assistance with rent, bills and other needs. The union is holding a fundraiser for our Membership Assistance Fund from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 24 at Paddy Coyne’s Irish Pub, located about a block from the Times. More details and fliers will be distributed soon.
Will severance be paid in a lump sum or by weekly checks?
The Times pays severance in a lump sum. To receive the severance, you will have to sign a release. There is a seven-day period in which you can revoke your signature. The Times usually waits to give employees the checks after the seven days. In any case, the severance is paid no later than 30 days after the seven-day revocation period.
Are people who leave through EOIs or by volunteering for layoff still eligible for unemployment benefits?
Yes, as long as they meet other criteria for receiving benefits. You can get more information and apply for unemployment benefits online at www.go2ui.com.
I don’t understand why I might get less severance if I bypass the EOI process and then volunteer to be laid off in place of a less senior employee. What’s the deal?
More senior employees have the right to volunteer for layoff out of seniority order, according to our contract. However, when the union negotiated a Circulation severance agreement earlier this year, Times officials said the company did not want to pay increased costs in severance as a result of volunteer rights. The Times would agree only that a senior employee volunteering for layoff would receive the value of the junior employee’s package. The most senior volunteer would receive the most valuable junior package available, and so on, in descending order of seniority.
Example: A junior employee’s package is for 15 weeks of pay, at a total of $10,000, and six months of subsidized COBRA benefits. Regardless of pay or years of service, the more senior employee would receive $10,000 and six months of subsidized COBRA, at whatever level of insurance coverage the senior employee is enrolled.
What severance is available under the contracts?
In the Guild unit, people who are terminated through layoff (including volunteers) may be eligible to access Dismissal Benefit. Dismissal Benefit is a partial liquidation of an employee’s pension benefit. The union recommends that people consult a financial advisor before taking Dismissal Benefit because of its impact on future pension payments. This is especially true for employees close to retirement age. Employees in the Times Benefits Department can provide information on the amount of your Dismissal Benefit.
In the Composing unit, the contract provides retirement incentives that the Times may choose to pay, but it doesn’t provide severance.
Have other questions you need answered? E-mail the Guild-CWA at info@pnwguild.org, or e-mail Administrative Officer Liz Brown at lbrown@pnwguild.org.
Click here to see the positions affected.
See Frank Blethen's letter to employees.
Follow the latest updates on the blog.
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