Breaking: Two dozen to take Star Tribune buyouts

In a joint email to staff at the Star Tribune, managing editor Scott Gillespie and editor Nancy Barnes revealed that 24 newsroom employees would take voluntary buyouts. Their email read:

We wanted you to know that 24 employees have decided to take advantage of the dismissal pay provision in the contract and resign from the Star Tribune.

A number of these staff members had planned to retire this year or in 2008, after long and rich careers. Others chose to take this opportunity to take a break from daily journalism, and some said they plan to return to school or look at other career options.

Several of those who are leaving have been high-profile writers who are well known to our readers. Others have made their contributions as copy editors, designers, support staff employees and news assistants.

There’s no doubt that all 24 people whose names are listed below have made this a better newspaper and workplace. As we all know, daily journalism work is a commitment of heart as well as mind and words alone cannot thank people enough for the work that they have done over the years. We will miss all of our colleagues and we wish them only the best as they pursue this change in their lives.

We plan to recognize their accomplishments at 3 p.m. Friday in the A/B assembly rooms. We’re hoping all of you will be able to take time out to attend. Here are the 24 people we will be honoring:

Judy Arginteanu
Bill Arthur
Steve Aschburner
Mike Carroll
Bob Franklin
Gretchen Gramenz
Doug Halliday
Jeremy Iggers
Jocelina Joiner
Tom Jones
Jim Landberg
Bob Lutsey
Ron Meador
Richard Parker
Darlene Prois
John Reinan
Pam Schmid
Al Sicherman
David Silk
Derek Simmons
Tom Simon
Dane Smith
Brad Stokman
Margaret Zack

Update follows…Update 3 p.m.: The Star Tribune’s coverage of the buyouts said the departure of these 24 employees represents a 7 percent reduction in the newsroom’s 361-person staff. In its farewell blog post to those who chose to leave, the Strib’s unit of the Minnesota Newspaper Guild wrote that the combined experience of Guild members who’ll be vacating desks on Friday tops 450 years. After informing members about the 24 goodbye cards available for signing, the Guild blog includes this telling announcement:

While management moves to put out a paper with fewer people, it’s important that Guild members not allow that decision to come at their expense. Members should watch their hours carefully and put in for any overtime needed to do their jobs.

A  reminder: Guild members are entitled to cash at 1.5 times every hour of overtime worked.