Tuesday July 3, 2012 News Updates
Anonymous Group Seeks To Unionize Chattanooga Times Free Press
That's the first line of an email message that employees of the Chattanooga Times Free Press received from a group that calls itself Workers of the Times Free Press and that claims to be behind an effort to unionize the paper.
"We are currently staying anonymous simply because some of the people behind the effort only wanted to proceed if they could stay behind the veil initially," a spokesperson from the group said via email. "The plan is to test the level of interest-which so far seems to be strong-and to gauge the nature of management's response before deciding on the timing for going on the record with who comprises the initial organizing team."
More Layoffs at Dow Jones, Following the Sale of Career Website FINS.com
A little more than a week after Dow Jones & Co. announced that about 25 jobs would be eliminated as part of a plan to make SmartMoney digital-only, the financial publisher is handing out yet more pink slips.
Twelve more positions are being eliminated, Capital has learned, this time as a result of the just-announced sale to Dice Holdings of FINS.com, a career-resources website launched by Dow Jones in 2009.
QuadTech, News International in big pact
QuadTech Inc. said it will install its AccuCam color control and web inspection system across five manroland Colorman XXL presses at News International's print site in Knowsley, the United Kingdom.
The Newsprinters project also includes the installation of QuadTech's recently introduced water control management system, the vendor said. QuadTech and Newsprinters tested the technology as part of the printer's evaluation of the AccuCam system.
"We have been working on this project with QuadTech for over two years and are delighted with the results of an excellent partnership," said Newsprinters Managing Director Brian McGee in a statement. "This investment will provide us with cost savings and improve our already award-winning print quality."
The image-based AccuCam system provides fully automatic closed-loop color control by managing the ink-key settings through a six-channel spectral sensor. The system also provides advanced web inspection from the same sensor, typically detecting defects within the first 170 copies, and then continuously throughout the print run.
The Newsprinters installation will begin in October and the systems will be fully operational by January 2013.
Fayetteville Observer upgrading strappers
The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer is upgrading its postpress operation, installing new strapping machines from Strapack Inc.
The newspaper ordered the first of what ultimately will be eight Strapack RQ-8N1 strappers to replace older machines.
The machines can make up to 42 bundles per minute.
"We looked at the parts consumption and several other factors while considering replacing our aging existing equipment with new machines instead of used or rebuilt. We concluded that the new Strapack machines would have a much lower cost of ownership over the long term," he said in a statement.
Meantime, Strapack, a unit of Tokyo-based Strapack Corp., said it's introduced a new unidirectional strapper, the RQ-8N2. The machine can be placed within an existing line or connected directly to an RQ-8N1 system to allow bundles to keep their initial orientations as they exit the stacker. The bundles can be cross-strapped without rotating or any additional handling, the company said.
Peel Road press closes as printing moves to Sheffield
Newspapers Thursday's Manx Independent will be the final paper to be printed on the Peel Road press
Isle of Man Newspapers will close its Peel Road press on Thursday and move printing to the UK, with the loss of seven staff jobs and some casual posts.
Printing of the company's three newspapers will start at the Johnston Press site in Sheffield from Monday.
Editor Richard Butt said: "The company must respond to market demand for improved products."
The Examiner, the Manx Independent and the Courier have all been printed in Douglas for the last 19 years.
Content will continue to be produced by staff in the island and emailed to Dinnington.
Mr Butt said the move would "improve the quality of the publications".
"The current press produces a maximum of 48 pages at a time meaning papers have to be printed in sections and put together by hand," he said.
"The Dinnington press is capable of printing 192 pages in full colour which will help with advertising.
"Advertising in the newspaper industry has suffered a severe downturn throughout the western world because of the recession and the rise of the internet.
"Isle of Man Newspapers has fared far better than most in that regard."
The newspaper group said it looked into the cost of buying a new press to keep printing in the Isle of Man but it was too expensive considering it would only be used three times a week.
Seven full-time posts are being made redundant by the move but the company will still employ 53 people in the Isle of Man after the closure of the press. The number of casual posts lost has not been revealed.
The printed newspapers will be transported to the island by ferry, along with the UK national newspapers. If the boat does not sail, the papers will be flown to the island.
