Reduction in Force Language Other Guild CBAs

The Boston Globe

Employees who are dismissed through a layoff shall be those within each job classification by department
(as listed in Appendix A to this Section) with the least amount of bargaining unit seniority, which shall be
determined by an employees total length of bargaining unit seniority, pursuant to Article III, Section 5.
Employees with special skill or superior ability may be retained out of seniority for layoffs which are not as a
result of subcontracting.
Minneapolis Star-Tribune
The Publisher shall not be required to reduce the force (whether by buyout or layoff) within a job title or the
basis of seniority if the Publisher deems that an employee must be retained. The Publisher may exercise its
rights pursuant to this paragraph by exempting no more than twenty (20) percent of any reduction in force to
one exemption for every five positions or fraction thereof reduced within a job title. However, there shall be
no more than 12 exemptions during a calendar year.
San Francisco Chronicle
The Employer shall have the unqualified right to reduce the number of Employees without regard to
classification or department by layoff and to determine which Employees are to be laid off, which rights shall
not be subject to grievance or arbitration. The effective date of a layoff shall be the date set by the Employer
in its notice to the Employees concerned, with a copy to the Guild. The Employer will provide the Guild and
the affected Employee(s) two (2) weeks notice or pay in lieu of such notice prior to the effective date of
layoff. This notice requirement or pay in lieu thereof shall not apply to a discharge of an Employee for good
and sufficient cause.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Inc.
The Employer will decide when and how many employees will be dismissed or laid off. When deciding on
dismissals or layoffs the Employer will give consideration to the needs and requirements of the work to be
done and experience, length of service, proficiency, affirmative action goals, specialized skills and other
factors. If all the other factors are equal, length of service will be the determining factor.
Indianapolis Star
The Publisher may identify positions deemed expendable within each of the following classifications: 1)
Columnist; 2) Reporter; 3) Producer; 4) Photographer; 5) Community Content Specialist; 6) News Assistant;
and 7) Building Services and lay off employee(s) in said classifications. The Publisher shall consider the
following factors in determining which employees are to be laid off from those classifications, in the
following order of priority: (a) seniority, (b) individual skills and abilities, and (c) individual performance
history and disciplinary history. If, after evaluating the employees using the above criteria, the Publisher
determines there are two or more individuals of equal qualifications, they will be ranked by seniority. The
Publishers judgment and assessment of these factors shall not be subject to the grievance and arbitration
procedures; however, the Guild may grieve and arbitrate a failure to follow the provision of this Article VI.
St. Louis
In any given layoff event, the Employer may in its discretion, regardless of seniority, exempt up to 20
employees in the newsroom (12 in the reporter category, 3 in copy editing, 3 photographers and 2
artist/designers) and 5 in advertising from layoff for any reason. It is understood that the exempted
employees will remain in that designation for 12 consecutive months.

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Reduction in Force Language Other Guild CBAs

The Washington Post
In the event that The Post determines to lay off employees in the Guild unit, after considering and, in its sole
discretion, implementing any appropriate voluntary methods for reducing headcount pursuant to Article
X(8), The Post will prepare a list of employees in the affected job classification(s) in the affected work
area(s) and rank such affected employees in the order of their seniority of employment with The Post. The
Post will proceed with layoffs in inverse seniority order, with the following exception: The Post may in its
discretion exempt up to 25% of employees in the affected job classification in the affected work area from
layoff for any reason that The Post deems essential to its operations; provided that, in all work areas of less
than four employees, The Post may exempt one employee in the affected work area from layoff for any
reason that The Post deems essential to its operations. Such exemptions shall not be subject to the Article
XXII grievance and arbitration procedure. Substitute voluntary resignations by longer term employees in the
affected area will be given consideration by The Post in lieu of employees otherwise slated for separation,
and if acceptable to The Post, such substitute employees voluntarily resigning shall be paid severance in
accordance with Article XIV of this Agreement.
Memphis Commercial Appeal
In determining the employee or employees to be discharged in a reduction in force, the following factors
shall govern: competency, ability to do the work assigned, special abilities or qualifications for the particular
function, and the length of service of any employee who is selected for dismissal. When there is no
substantial difference after application of the above, the employee or employees with the greatest total
service shall be retained.

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