Tough Times for the Newspapers

Both the Honolulu Advertiser and Honolulu Star-Bulletin are undergoing pretty major transitions due to the bad economy and overall declining readership. All the best to the workers who provide us with the news.

Honolulu Star-Bulletin Announces Major Cuts

The Honolulu Star-Bulletin announced today that is laying-off at least 17 workers and changing its lay-out as the paper struggles against a worsening economy and changes in the way people are consuming news.

Hawaii's second largest paper made the announcement during a staff meeting today, and will eliminate 17 newsroom positions, along with an undetermined number of workers elsewhere in the company. It will also freeze current wages.

It will convert to a tabloid format, similar in size to Midweek, a trend seen in the suffering newspaper business nationwide.

Advertiser unions OK 2-year pay cut of 10%

Union employees with the Honolulu Advertiser ratified a new two-year contract yesterday that includes a pay cut of 10 percent to help the company weather the economic downturn.

By a vote of 248-40, members of the six unions representing employees of the state's largest daily newspaper accepted the agreement, which takes effect today and expires Dec. 31, 2010, according to the Hawaii Newspaper Guild.

"When (employees) looked at the economy and the industry in general, they believed that it was necessary to take this deal to keep this newspaper in operation," said Wayne Cahill, administrative officer of the Hawaii Newspaper Guild. "They're really dedicated to the newspaper and the industry and wanted to see it continue."