Thursday, January 10, 2008
News / News Bites First blood . . .
Posted by Michael Miner on Thu, Jan 10, 2008 at 6:22 PM
Layoffs began at the Sun-Times Thursday, eliminating management personnel with no union to protect them. Sunday editor Marcia Frellick and assistant managing editor Avis Weathersbee were fired, as were Lloyd Sachs, Michelle Stevens, and Mike Gillis of the editorial board, arguably the only overstaffed part of the paper. The process was none too gentle from what I hear -- those dismissed were escorted out of the newspaper's offices by security guards without being given a chance to clean out their desks.
Business editor Dan Miller quit. Predicting the paper will soon be sold, Miller told Crain's Chicago Business: "The business section is going to be very tiny. There isn't much need for a business section editor when there isn't much of a business section or staff to direct." A creative editor known to test the margins of journalistic protocols, Miller was a founder of the six-year-old Chicago Innovation Awards. Cofounder Tom Kuczmarski, a business consultant, tells me, "I went to a few other media outlets in Chicago and they didn't get it. I went to Dan Miller and said one of the things we need to do is celebrate innovation in the city, and he said 'You're damn right. Let's do it.' The first year we had 75 people show up. Last year we had 760 show up. Not just business -- it's academia and government and nonprofits. It's just amazing to see how the Chicago community has gotten behind this."
So Miller's gone. There are many more names to come.
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I have never understood why corporations need to make terminations so brutal. After 27 years at my previous place of employment, I was let go with one days notice. I needed that extra day to clear out the accumulation in my work station, yet I still felt offended by my abrupt departure. The Sun-Times management acted in a morally repulsive way in throwing out three of its employees like garbage. I see no reason why those employees could not be treated with more dignity and respect, and allowed to cleaned out their desks. What does management fear in such situations, that the employees would go postal? When the Reader downsized a couple of months ago, the employees were allowed a respectful exit, I assume. I assume they received a reasonable window of notification,and that they were not escorted out of the building by security. If the Reader can treat its terminations with respect, why can't the Sun-Times?
if it happens again, the laid off should demand to clean out their own desks, say goodbye to their colleagues, etc. Security guards, unless they are carrying a gun (oops, oh well...) are not police officers and have no legal authority over you other than intimidation. If they want to call Chicago Police, let them. Even if someone does have a gun, he'd (um, presuming the security guard is a male) would have to then call the real police for backup. Hopefully the laid off can quietly explain to the officers what is going on and that they'd just like to clean out their own desk, and if the cops insist on arresting them, go ahead. The negative publicity would be awesome and there'd be lawyers waiting outside the lockup, eager to file the future lawsuit. maybe that's irrational, but it's tough to think rationally these days.
as someone working while i KNOW i'm getting laid off any day now, i find myself torn. should i be professional and show up until i am asked not to (putting myself in the escorted out category) or not show up and screw over my desk? both sound unappealing. it is a sad state of affairs over here...
Management separates itself from physical contact with workers for the sake of "efficiency" because, God forbid, that businesses be anything other than a way to make money for shareholders. Seriously, check the following article out. Companies will even hire people just to fire employees these days. http://www.inc.com/magazine/20071101/meet-rebecca-shes-here-to-fire-you.html
Time to send in the Bobs
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