By: Mark Fitzgerald With plans underway to lop 40 newsroom jobs at its biggest daily, Sun-Times Media Group (STMG) Tuesday disclosed its intention to shrink staff at its suburban weeklies.
STMG's director of investor relations, Tammy Chase, said the company had notified the Chicago Newspaper Guild that it plans to cut 11 newsroom positions at Pioneer Press, its chain of weeklies serving several Chicago neighborhoods, and suburban municipalities.
In addition, STMG intends to cut an additional five newspaper jobs at the Lake County News-Sun, a daily in Waukegan, Ill.
STMG is also shutting down three of the 57 Pioneer Press flags. The papers to be folded are the Harlem-Irving Times; Edgebrook-Sauganash Times, and the Jefferson Park/Portage Park/Belmont-Cragin Times. All the papers circulates in Chicago's Northwest Side Chicago.
Tuesday's announced cuts are part of STMG's previously reported plan to undertake its biggest reduction in operating expenses ever, wringing out $50 million by June.
Last week, STMG notified the Guild that it intends to cut 35 union-represented newsroom positions and five non-union jobs. Under the current contract, the Guild and paper have two weeks to negotiate alternatives to non-voluntary layoffs.
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