New York Times union workers approve temporary 5 percent pay cut, averting further layoffs

October 5th, 2009 No more Chicago Sun-Times suitors before deadlineCHICAGO — No one else stepped forward with a bid for the bankrupt Chicago Sun-Times before a Monday evening deadline, leaving just one offer for the storied newspaper that's rapidly running out of the cash it needs to stay in business. The standing offer for the parent company, the Sun-Times Media Group Inc., is from hometown investor Jim Tyree, who has insisted that workers agree to concessions before he'll seal the deal that could be the paper's last chance of survival.

September 25th, 2009 Puerto Rico to lay off 16,000 workers, cut deficitSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico's government announced Friday that it will lay off more than 16,000 public workers in the U.S. Caribbean territory, adding to an unemployment rate higher than that of any U.S state.

September 25th, 2009 RI union accepts tentative deal avoiding layoffsPROVIDENCE, R.I. — The largest Rhode Island employees union has accepted a tentative deal that would prevent a government shutdown and mass layoffs.

September 25th, 2009 New York Times open to voluntary union buyoutsNEW YORK — The New York Times told its main union this week that it is open to offering voluntary buyouts in a move that could avert additional layoffs as the newspaper seeks to further cut costs. The newspaper also guaranteed to restore pay for union members in January, after they had their salaries cut by 5 percent earlier in the year.

September 23rd, 2009 RI gov, unions in tentative deal to stop shutdownPROVIDENCE, R.I. — The state of Rhode Island may avoid a shutdown of government services and massive layoffs thanks to a tentative deal struck between Gov.

August 25th, 2009 SF Bay area rail union voting on contractSAN FRANCISCO — Members of a commuter rail union in the San Francisco Bay area are voting on a new contract aimed at averting a strike. Union president Jesse Hunt says he's confident the Bay Area Rapid Transit agency's train operators and station agents will ratify the agreement.

June 19th, 2009 Cleveland newspaper workers get pay cut, furloughsCLEVELAND — About 500 union workers at The Plain Dealer in Cleveland will take a 12 percent wage cut to help Ohio's largest newspaper deal with slumping advertising revenue. The drop is the combination of an 8 percent pay cut and 11 unpaid days off.

June 12th, 2009 Washington Post union ratifies 2-year contractWASHINGTON — The union representing editorial and other employees at The Washington Post has overwhelmingly ratified a two-year contract that will let the newspaper protect a quarter of its workers from any layoffs, regardless of seniority. Under previous contracts, employees with the most seniority would be the last to get laid off.

June 7th, 2009 Paterson deal with unions to avoid layoffsALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. David Paterson and two unions reached an agreement to avoid major layoffs of state workers while adding extra payments for those who elect to retire and a lower pension tier for new hires.

May 13th, 2009 ArcelorMittal laying off nearly 1,000 at Ind. millEAST CHICAGO, Ind.

May 8th, 2009 Severstal announces plans to idle WVa, Ohio plantsCHARLESTON, W.Va. — Russian-owned steelmaker Severstal lnternational said Thursday it is idling mills West Virginia and Ohio because of the continuing slump in the steel industry.

May 8th, 2009 San Diego Union-Tribune cuts 192 jobsSAN DIEGO — The San Diego Union-Tribune is cutting 192 jobs in another round of layoffs affecting all departments at the newspaper. The Union-Tribune said Thursday the layoffs amount to about 18 percent of its staff, which will be reduced to about 850 workers after the cuts become effective July 6.

May 8th, 2009 Boston Globe union meets over concessionsBOSTON — Members of The Boston Globe's largest union met Thursday to debate a proposal for deep wage and benefit cuts that the newspaper's parent company, The New York Times Co., said were necessary to keep the 137-year-old daily from closing. "There seem to be a lot of upset members of the crowd tonight and rightly so," said Daniel Totten, president of the Boston Newspaper Guild, following the approximately 90-minute meeting.

May 4th, 2009 6 Globe unions have deal; none for largest unionBOSTON — The Boston Globe and its largest employees union finished all-night talks without a deal Monday, but plan to be back at the bargaining table soon. Lifetime job guarantees are among the final sticking points on a deal that could avert a shutdown of the 137-year-old newspaper.

April 29th, 2009 New York Times union to vote on pay cut MondayNEW YORK — Union employees at The New York Times scheduled a vote Monday on a temporary 5 percent pay cut, a step Times management hopes will head off any need for additional layoffs this year. New York Guild President Bill O'Meara said he expects the measure to pass, with the salary cut going into place next Tuesday at the earliest.