By: Joe Strupp The Times Union of Albany, N.Y., will layoff 15 full-time and three part-time employees, including its business editor, sports editor and reader representative, the paper announced Wednesday.
The cuts include 11 full-time newsroom employees, according to a Web story.
"Reductions in staff are never pleasant," Publisher George R. Hearst said in the report. "Many of the employees have served with distinction, and our very best wishes are with them as they continue with their professional and personal lives."
Among the employees affected were Monica Bartoszek, a senior editor and reader representative; Alan Wechsler, an outdoors columnist, Sports Editor Bill Callen; and Marlene Kennedy, business editor and a weekly columnist.
Most employees were notified Monday and Tuesday, the paper reported.
The layoffs were effective immediately, although the Albany Newspaper Guild members were placed on paid leave as the paper continues union negotiations.
The guild filed a grievance with the company Tuesday over a layoff that occurred a day earlier, the paper reported. Guild president Tim O'Brien disputed the legality of the job reductions.
"We are utterly shocked at the Times Union's behavior," O'Brien said in a statement on the guild's Web
site. "The disregard for the law is stunning. An organization that is devoted to truth-telling lies about placing people on leave, but [Editor] Rex Smith made quite clear to the entire newsroom these folks were laid off. It's too late to put that cat back in the bag."
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