Five members of the Chron’s newsroom staff were told Wednesday that they are being laid off as the newspaper attempts to reduce operating losses, the Guild reported. Six positions were cut in classified advertising just before Labor Day. Much of the classified operation is being shifted to Hearst’s Houston Chronicle.
This year the Chron has cut 481 jobs: 151 in news and ads, 100 drivers and 230 printers.
What’s worse, there’s no sign that management has a plan to staunch the staff cuts or implement a forward-thinking strategy for the paper, union rep Carl Hall told the San Francisco Business Times.
“It’s disheartening to see layoffs without a plan guiding them,” Hall said.
The Guild is putting on two “unemployment workshops” — 5:30-7 p.m. Oct. 1 and 1-2:30 p.m. Oct. 2 — in The Chronicle’s Golden Gate Conference Room (basement). To RSVP, please e-mail deveramichelle@gmail.com.