Gannett retracts buyout offer at Detroit Free Press

In late August, Gannett announced that it was offering a voluntary buyout plan to staffers 55 and over with at least 15 years service, part of an effort to “better align our structure to become a next generation media company.” Eligible employees have 45 days to take the offer, which reportedly amounts to about a year’s pay for a 25-year veteran. So sometime in mid-October, expect to hear about departures of veterans from USA Today, the Arizona Republic, and other Gannett publications. It’s become a familiar, orderly ritual in the newspaper business. But at one Gannett paper, the process surrounding these buyouts has been anything but smooth.

When the Newspaper Guild representing employees of the Detroit Free Press tried to bargain over the terms of the deal, Gannett withdrew the offer within 24 hours. That turn of events has frustrated at least some staffers who would have qualified for the buyout and has sparked concern that, if the offer is not reinstated, the company will instead opt for layoffs to get the targeted cost savings. In the past, layoffs have been conducted in reverse order of seniority, affecting younger employees first.