Company reduces Guild workforce by 7% in recent round of layoffs, buyouts

Five Guild jobs were cut by the Company on Wednesday.

The layoffs were on top of five Guild members accepting buyouts that were negotiated by the Guild with the Company, marking a 7 percent reduction in the total Guild workforce.

The Executive Board is working with the Company over concerns that reverse seniority was not followed, a guarantee outlined in our contract. While we stressed multiple times that the Company should be upfront with the Guild regarding what titles were being considered for layoffs so that we could avoid any issues with following the contract, the Company refused to be open with us.

“As a Guild, we’re here to ensure the contract is adhered to,” union President Amanda Fries said. “We’ll continue to work to ensure the Company is following the rights guaranteed to us in the contract, and will fight to protect our members.”

Because of the Company’s error, open positions made available to those who were let go are in flux, but could potentially protect two laid off employees from a complete loss in employment. The Guild will be updating members as information becomes available.

Further, we are examining whether all those who were laid off were done so appropriately and the work won’t be ferreted out to contractors or absorbed by non-Guild-eligible employees.

This reduction does not include any cuts in exempt employees at the Times Union, which the Company has refused to reveal how many are being eyed.