Pioneer Press asks workers to take week-long furloughs

Union workers at the Pioneer Press will decide whether to accept the newspaper's request that non-union workers take a week of unpaid time-off starting as early as next week.

The unpaid furloughs would be a cost-savings measure by Pioneer Press parent company MediaNews Group. The Newspaper's Guild members will vote Friday on whether to accept the week of unpaid leave between Feb. 9 and the end of April.

The company is requesting unpaid furloughs from non-union workers, but union members must agree to the provision. The paper has 307 Newspaper Guild members and a little over 400 workers would be affected by the unpaid leaves.

Newspaper Guild Unit Officer Dave Orrick said the unpaid leave comes at a tough time for workers and their families.

"We understand the position that the company is in and the challenges it faces but this is a real challenge in the winter," Orrick said. "When heating bills are high, and with such short notice people who are paycheck to paycheck are going to have a really hard time planning this much unpaid time in such a short period."

The paper's management was not willing to guarantee that the unpaid furloughs would prevent layoffs during the 10-week period.

Seventy percent of the unpaid furloughs would happen by March 31, the end of the fiscal year's first quarter. The remaining furloughs would be required by April 30.

Gallery

Fullscreen SlideshowPrevious Slide

1 of 1

Next Slide