Pat was called in to work early yesterday for a mandatory manager's meeting... which was followed by a total staff meeting. His boss also mentioned they were starting new deadlines ... an hour earlier than the midnight deadline they've been under.
We both knew there was bad news and Pat called me on the way to work to say that he was sure they were probably going to start printing his paper in another town.
He was right... and 30 people who worked to print the newspaper and put it together lost their jobs. Pat told me that one of the pressmen had been with the paper more than 40 years.
The pressmen heard rumors layoffs were going to be announced in October, but I'm sure no one expected to find out they no longer had a job as of yesterday.
Pat's job was spared this time, but we both know that any day now they could outsource his job to another office. It's a real fear that I have.. especially with a baby on the way.
The writing truly is on the wall for newspapers... downsizing to save money hurts the product and causes longtime staffers to find new career fields.
It's just really sad to see.
2 comments:
I'm really sorry to hear about all that. Especially in this economic market lately, I had feared this sort of thing would be happening more and more. Even in other fields besides journalism. I'm glad that Pat still has his job.
And, hey, if times get bad, we STILL have a job opening at the ADG :)
That is so sad...there are not even words to describe working somewhere 40 years and then getting laid off! I hope they offered those employees some type of seperation package.
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