Toledo Blade Lays Off 25

 

TOLEDO, OH (December 11, 2008) – Today employees at The Blade in Toledo learned that 25 of their coworkers will be laid off December 27.

Declining advertising revenues, and the newspaper's ties to the auto industry in the region, were blamed for the cutbacks at the newspaper owned by Block Communications Inc., which also owns the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The Blade depends heavily on auto advertising, and many in the northern Ohio region are employed by the auto industry and manufacturing companies that supply auto parts.

Most of the cuts come in the newsroom, the newspaper said in today's announcement, and the layoffs include eight full-time reporters, all of the part-time reporters, and four news support staff.

The Blade says it has a daily circulation of about 115,000.

Blade photography director Nate Parsons is one of two managers who have left the paper. In this round of layoffs, one staff photographer and one picture editor were told they are being laid off.

The decision to lay off staff was made during a meeting with the Toledo Newspaper Guild, of the the newspapers editors said.

The cuts will reduced The Blade's editorial staff to 36. After the layoffs the newspaper will employ 425 people across the company.

In May a nine-month lockout of about a third of The Blade's union workers ended when they reached a contract with the company, and dozens of employees were cut through buyouts and layoffs.

The Blade said those laid off are eligible for two weeks pay for every year of service, up to a maximum of one year's salary, and health insurance for 12 months.

 

NPPA Marketplace

Insure Your Equipment

You go where the action is….so should your insurance! Hays delivers comprehensive insurance for your gear - covering cameras, computers, editing equipment and rental.

Join the NPPA

NPPA members receive a wide range of benefits, from educational opportunities to mentoring, exclusive discounts, insurance options, business tips, and much more.