[2:40 p.m. update: Comment from Strib spokesman Ben Taylor added.]

Does the bleeding ever stop at 425 Portland? After exempting reporters and editors from January cuts, Star Tribune editor Nancy Barnes told staffers in a Thursday memo that she will now accept "a maximum of five" buyout "volunteers" from those categories. Photographers and designers are also eligible.

In early January, Barnes and top editors declared, "Our plan, as a newsroom and a company, is to protect (and expand) the breadth and depth of our content in myriad ways in order to maintain our position as the state's leading provider of news and information. For that reason, there are no buyouts or layoffs planned in the ranks of reporters or their editors." 

That philosophy apparently softened in the ensuing six weeks. Barnes writes that the January reorganization only axed 25 of the 30 full-time equivalent positions "necessary to meet the newsroom's 2010 budget." During that process, she adds, "we heard that there may be some newsroom staff members who might be interested in a voluntary separation package, but they were not in job categories that were previously eligible for packages."

Newspaper Guild co-chair David Chanen says that the union did ask in January discussions that the buyout be opened to more categories. However, once the reorganization layoffs were announced, the union expected that would be the end of the bloodletting. "We figured the [25] number would be OK," Chanen says.

Barnes notes the bought-out would "have to be in a position that would not need to be replaced and their work could be absorbed in some other manner" and "We may reject applicants if we conclude their skill sets or functions are business critical."

She terms the buyout program "totally voluntary"; the memo does not mention layoffs should too few volunteers come forward. I have an email and call in to Strib officials and will update this item when I hear back. For his part, Chanen says he would be "stunned" if enough Stribbers stepped forward voluntarily. Update: Strib spokesman Ben Taylor disagrees: "We fully expect to get enough volunteers. This should not be an issue." 

Here's the memo:

While our newsroom is shrinking by 25 people, we didn’t quite achieve the reduction of 30 FTE positions that is necessary to meet the newsroom’s 2010 budget. During this reduction-in-force, we heard that there may be some newsroom staff members who might be interested in a voluntary separation package, but they were not in job categories that were previously eligible for packages. So, in order to reach our budget goals, we would be willing to now consider a small number of voluntary separation packages under Article XIII paragraph 7 of the collective bargaining agreement.

Specifically, Guild-represented employees from certain job categories would be eligible for consideration. We will offer the same severance terms as before. Specifically, any accepted volunteer will receive one and one-half week’s pay for each 52 weeks’ continuous service or major fraction thereof, up to and including a maximum of 30 weeks’ pay. No volunteer will receive less than four weeks of severance pay regardless of length of continuous service, and the severance payments will be computed at the highest rate of pay received during the preceding twelve months.

A maximum of five volunteers will be considered from the following categories:

- H scale feature editors 
- A scale designers, but excluding designers who regularly design Page 1
- A scale photographers
- A scale reporters (from local news teams, features teams, or general assignment writers on any team)

Please understand that this offer is totally voluntary, but there is a caveat: We may not be able to accept every person who comes forward. To be granted a separation package, a person would have to be in a position that would not need to be replaced and their work could be absorbed in some other manner.

And we’re only looking for a maximum of five volunteers; if more than five volunteers come forward, we would not be able to accept all of them and will accept them based on a variety of factors, such as critical nature and balance of skill sets, seniority, or performance. We may reject applicants if we conclude their skill sets or functions are business critical.

We anticipate that any volunteers who come forward will likely exit the company soon after they are accepted to receive a separation package.

This offer is non-precedential.  See Article XIII paragraph 7.

If anyone is interested in a voluntary separation package, they should discuss their interest with Michael Seraphine in Human Resources no later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, February 26.  Michael will meet with interested individuals on a confidential basis to answer questions and provide an application for any individuals who do decide to volunteer.  

Nancy