Star-Ledger May Be Closed or Sold by Next January

Yesterday, The Star-Ledger's publisher George Arwady told employees that the newspaper will close on January 5 next year "if 200 buyouts and several union concessions are not met, or if the paper cannot be sold," according to Editor & Publisher. The e-mail explains there are three things that need to be done: Get concessions from drivers, cut non-union staff via buyouts and get concessions from the mailers' union. As the Star-Ledger itself reports, while the paper's dire situation was known, "yesterday was the first time a Jan. 5 closure date has been mentioned." The president of S-L's parent company Donald Newhouse said, "We strongly believe that if we can achieve the three objectives we set for ourselves ... then we will be able to produce a viable newspaper."

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By Jen Chung in News on September 17, 2008 2:35 PM

Comments [rss]

theinsider

The SL has no intention of shutting down. They are using fear to get what they want with the unions. The non-union employees haven't gotten raises in 3 years while the unions have been eating away at the profits. Management hopes that threat of no job at all will force their hand. They also don't have enough employee buyouts, but that's not the first line in their press release. They can't sell without good union contracts that favor the company.

The Edge

#2- Well, unions ARE to blame for quite a bit of things.

Not that you'd agree, but hey..

Bouncing Soul

Another loss for the slowly dying print media.

JMH

This would be too bad; the Ledger is a pretty good paper, not as good as the Times but better than the News and the Post.

Toby von Meistersinger

Jerseyist isn't a bad idea.

Steven

Newspapers are a dying breed.

Splicer

Let me know when the people running Donald Newhouse take less of a vig as a concession to tough economic times.

As usual, workers give, owner takes, owner wants more. Oh, I forgot, the morons at home, busy watching Faux News and listening to Hannity, think that unions are to blame for everything. Enjoy your own non-future, schmucks.