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Washington Post Staffers Take Early Retirement
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As The Post and other newspapers attempt to follow their readers into other media, staffers are asked to do more. The Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild, which represents many newsroom employees, has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board because The Post will not negotiate with the union to set terms and conditions for paying reporters and editors asked to appear on Washington Post Radio, which the newspaper launched in March.
"It's up to people to decide to tell us if we are overworking them," Downie said.
Several other newspapers are using buyouts to cut costs; some are resorting to layoffs.
The New York Times Co. is cutting 700 company-wide jobs. About 130 of those came from the Times-owned Boston Globe, which offered buyouts. Tribune Co., which publishes 11 newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, said last week that it would use layoffs to cut costs. Last year, Tribune newspapers eliminated 185 positions through buyouts and layoffs. In 2005, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch cut 12 percent of its newsroom staff and the Philadelphia Inquirer 15 percent.
This is The Post's second round of buyouts in the past three years. As they were last time, the buyouts are funded by The Washington Post Co. pension fund.
In 2003, 54 staff members age 55 and older took the offer, but many were offered contracts to work part of the year without benefits. The age was lowered to 54 this time, and fewer contracts were offered.
Among The Post's daily sections, the Photo and Business staffs are losing the most staffers, proportionally. The weekly Food section is losing four of six full-time staffers.
Many of the positions will be filled.
Seven photographers and two photo editors -- 25 percent of the staff -- are taking the buyouts, including Lucian Perkins, who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1995 and 2000.
Nine Business reporters, editors and columnists from a full- and part-time staff of 71 are taking the buyouts. Familiar names to readers include international economics reporter Paul Blustein, who plans to write books; tax specialist Albert B. Crenshaw; and consumer reporter and blogger Caroline E. Mayer.
"It's very hard and sad to leave a newsroom after 25 years," said Mayer, who has already booked a vacation. "But it's also very exciting to ponder all the opportunities that a second career could offer. Besides, there's the hope of lots more free time. Who could beat that?"
