http://thespec.com/News/Business/article/519200
Hamilton Spectator to lay off 35
The Hamilton Spectator
Feb 24, 2009
The Spectator is laying off 35 staff across the newspaper in reaction to the global economic downturn and the resulting slowdown in the media industry.
"We're confident these reductions, while painful for our team, can be accomplished in a manner that will be invisible to our readers and advertisers," publisher Dana Robbins said yesterday.
Layoffs were also announced at the Record of Waterloo Region and the Guelph Mercury. The Spectator and its sister dailies are part of Metroland Media Group Ltd., a division of Torstar Corp.
The Spectator layoffs represent 30 full-time jobs, or 7 per cent of a staff complement of 430. The layoff affects positions in the editorial, circulation, advertising, production and business units.
"This is an extremely sad day for the union at The Hamilton Spectator," said Paul Morse, CEP Local 87-M chair. "These layoffs will cut deeply into a newspaper that has always provided highest-quality journalism."
Robbins said it was hoped the economic downturn would be "sharp and short, but it's ended up not being short, quite the opposite.
"There is not a company in Hamilton that is not facing similar circumstances.
"When our community suffers, The Spectator suffers, and that's what we're seeing."
David Estok, editor-in-chief, told newsroom staff that specific layoff notifications will be made shortly.
"This is, and always has been, a caring newsroom," Estok said. "Our thoughts and support will be with our colleagues who will be leaving."
Layoffs at the Record are equivalent to 20 full-time jobs in a staff complement of 272. At the Mercury, it's 13 of 85 full-time jobs.