by: Mike Armstrong | philly.com

Philadelphia Daily News gossip columnist Dan Gross resigned Wednesday, effective immediately, as head of the Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia, which represents 550 unionized newsroom, advertising, and other employees of Interstate General Media L.L.C., parent company of The Inquirer, Daily News, and Philly.com.

In a statement issued by the guild, Gross said he had applied for a voluntary-separation program announced by the company last Thursday and had been approved for a buyout package. His last day at the Daily News will be Feb. 1.