Survey Results Part 2

Page 1. Sam Zell, Senior Mgt. and Supervision
6. Senior Management , (Execs. VP's etc.) staffing levels are:
% of Respondents
Number of Respondents
Bloated
79.57%
74
Sufficient for the size of the operation
9.68%
9
Low, we need more executives
3.23%
3

OTHER:

bloated and over paid and elitist !!
1.08%
1
Ineffective and not true employees as most have come from outside of company in last 3 years. Too new to have buy-in to past company culture.
1.08%
1
Publisher and next level of leadershipt haven proven to be impotent and incapable. Why haven't they all been replaced?
1.08%
1
There are some extra VP's that can be cut. Not the real personnel who are getting the paper out on deadline.
1.08%
1
too new to the newspaper industry to understand news and the relationships within the areas served by each paper.
1.08%
1
Way bloated. How can we make two VP's a week and still be in "Right sizing mode"?
1.08%
1
We could save a lot of money by downsizing idiots who can only think of shrinking the paper and reducing the newsroom.
1.08%
1
Number of respondents
93
Number or respondents who skipped this question
61

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7. Do you think Senior Mgt. is over compensated for the job they do?
% of Respondents
Number of Respondents
Yes, Corporate wages are out of control.
91.11%
82
No, they earn what they are paid. We are the ones that are overpaid.
3.33%
3

OTHER:

Don't know how much money they actually make.
1.11%
1
don't think this is the issue...the issue is how they are treating the staff and what they are doing within the business units.
1.11%
1
Let's outscource their jobs to control costs. Some workers in the Phillipines or India couldn't hurt.
1.11%
1
Yes, they are over compensated when they have failed as most of them have. Disclose what these new Zell executives are being paid or promised? Are they bigger partners/owners than we unrepresented partners/owners are?
1.11%
1
YES. They have always been over compensated.
1.11%
1
Number of respondents
90
Number or respondents who skipped this question
64

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8. Do you think it makes business sense to promote executives at a time when long time workers are being laid-off in masses?
% of Respondents
Number of Respondents
No, especially because workers are losing jobs!
86.67%

78

Yes, we need executives more than workers
7.78%
7

OTHER:

Granted HIller's re-organization of top executives into silos and his doling out of new "president" titles was completely stupid and corrupt --they and one level down, all should have been fired, except for Avetesian. The problem is incompetence being promoted. Promotions when others being laid off, isn't a problem. It will be required. It is who is being promoted and who is being laid off that is the problem. Clean house of the incompetent "senior team" and one level down. Promote those who or able or find executives who are.
1.11%
1
I think upper management is making poor choices in hiring the right people for upper management positions. The company is headed for a lawsuit the way upper management is treating "the new employee owners"
1.11%
1
Stop hiring high-priced Clear Channel executives.
1.11%
1
they get fat wallets from our blood and sweat
1.11%
1
We are fireing all of us . Hell why not sell the Square, no on works there any more.
1.11%
1
Number of respondents
90
Number or respondents who skipped this question
64

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9. Do you think Senior Mgt. considers it's employees and their families when making major company decisions?
% of Respondents
Number of Respondents
No, they only care about themselves and their families.
84.62%
77
Yes, you would hope so.
9.89%
9

OTHER:

No - the level of self-interest in high levels of this company is appalling. Repulsive.
1.10%
1
They care about some employees i.e. their pets; others they kick to the curb.
1.10%
1
They don't care about anyone. It is so scary that they would cut their best friends throat in a minute if that would promote them to the next level.
1.10%
1
They have a job to do per Sam Zell. If they don't meet those instructions, they to can be eliminated.
1.10%
1
They make decisions based on business needs, not employee needs. What an entitlist question.
1.10%
1
Number of respondents
91
Number or respondents who skipped this question
63

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These are your answers to the final question

Page 4. If I really owned this place...
1. If I really owned this place, I would......
1
give Sam Zell a free hand to hire and fire.
2
Hire top personnel who know what the mission of a newspaper is and kick the greedy so-and-sos who control this place to the curb.
3
find a local owner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4
1. I would appreciate the people who work here and create an environment that enables individuals to contribute from a position of true ownership. 2. I would demand supervision be responsive and respectful to employees and their concerns, and visa versa. 3. I would take employee input seriously and explore all ideas to grow the business and reward efforts above and beyond expectations 4. Fire Russ Newton and Johnny Walker!
5
sell it to David Geffen.
6
Fire all of the incompetent Managers that are at both OLY and OC facility.
7
sell some fucking ads instead of fidgeting with editorail content
8
BE RICH AND NOT GIVE A CRAP.
9
Get rid of Zell and most Tribune executives.
10
Rethink the entire newspaper position. I would continue with cost efficient moves with respect to employies and their families. I would create a newspaper that promotes editorials and give readers what they want. Not the continuing reduction of our papers news,stories,and editorials.
11
Stop the bonuses and stock options to Management.
12
hopefully sell the Los Angeles Times to a more local owner that would keep the paper like it is, giving our readers and advertisers one of the best newspapers in the world. I would also give the "employee owners" more respect and more of a voice in the direction and decisions made at all levels. I would also get word to management to quit playing games and bargain with the union Pressroom members. I would cut out all bonuses to all employees and allow access to all salaries company wide. As an "owner" I should know what someones salary is in all areas, from the top to the bottom. Lastly, I would take distribute the money in the Pfafinger foundation to all former Times Mirror employees ,past and present ,based on years of service. I think were going to need it.
13
... get more reporters into the Greater L.A. communities we're supposed to cover and make the paper relevant to our readers ... insist on TIMELY reporting so we're the ones who break the news, not chase it; this is especially important for our stories online ... give plant employees a lounder voice to educate management and an ombusdman to see their ideas to fruition
14
make sure that journalists are running it at every level and sell the paper to a local private owner who appreciates its contributions to the LA community,
15
fire sam zell.
16
make it a plaesent place to work .
17
1.More local coverage of high school sports 2.Cut the number of V.P.s by combining their assignments 3.Fire Hiller replace him with a publisher with a So. Cal background 4.Return the company to more of a family friendly place to work by having BBQ's at the beach or a park 5. Support employe days at Santa Anita or Dodger games 6. Bring in more printing or stuffing jobs into the plants 7.Create a better 401K plan for retirement.
18
like into what readers and advertisers want
19
hire more pressmen , so the work can get done more safely and our product would look better to our readers.
20
fire Sam
21
sell it
22
Be highly involved with the community at large . I would want the people that I expected to buy my paper have a sincere trust in me so that my paper would be trusted to be one that gave the whole story and from a unbiast position. I would work to keep people more people employed maybe look at heavy supervision , sometimes If I had to lay off someone I could lay off one manager and keep three productive employees . What a concept ?
23
I would fir all the assholes
24
I would consentrate on the workers and not on bonuses for upper management.
25
I would put a cap on executives compensation so they could not walk out the door with millions or earn multi millions while others are being let go. If the company has to let people go then it should not be giving raises. I would bring back company provided retirements instead of 401k's or ira's. Our insurance premiums and co-pays would be lowered back to how they used to be and the prescription service changed back to using our own pharmacy instead of mail-in.
26
GIve Sam a raise.
27
aggressively promote the newspaper and its employees
28
invest in quality products and people that provide content that our readers really want.
29
Get read of the top mng
30
I would hire people,i would compete,i would fight for are market share.
31
do all I could to restore the journalistic excellence, increase the community pride and stewardship in the paper, and continue to innovate to meet the growing needs of the diverse Southern California community.
32
Limit the amount an executive recieves to one years salary when leaving the company. Bring back paperboys hawking newspapers during rush hour, and even add an afternoon edition, as a method of increasing circulation.
33
get employee input on all decisions
34
asking employees for there ideas not just via email as we all don't have email with the times. how come we have 7 reelroom coor. and we dont have enought staff for OC.
35
freez all management pay and re-evalutae employee pay......eliminate supervisors and leads and have the managers pick up the work load
36
Fire much of the management, realign salaries, promote those left out in the cold, and NOT incentivize kiss asses.
37
Try and turn the paper into a most wanted reading implament
38
put more faith in the employees, lay off half the supervisors, and fire all the senior management.
39
start at the top
40
bring back more local news to the oc sect. and the ie sect. so that readers in that area really had a paper that they would want to identify with. and send out surveys to past subscribers to find out why they quit the paper and ask them what they liked or disliked about the paper. I also would take a close look at what the compensation packages of the senior management employees are. and last I would really listen to all of the current employees and find out what they think could turn this paper around, after all we have alot of 20 plus year people employees here. it might be a good idea to listen to them, not just be concerned with the next rent check.
41
not have sold it to Sam Zell
42
I WOULD PUT QUALITY BACK INTO THE PAPER;S STORIES AND REPORTING.
43
fire john walker.
44
RUN THE LA TIMES MUCH BETTER AND TRY TO SAVE AS MANY JOBS AS POSSIBLE.
45
listen to the employees. Learn from their ideas and compensate them like we did before. Get rid of the extra luggage by sitting in with each department and make sure that the time is being utilized in a proper manner.
46
quit wasting money and shrink management and realy communicate with the employees
47
I would eliminate the dept manager position.
48
Stop the Corporate control of the news and start truly informing the public to think critically and stop the dumbing down with Fluff, Celebrity Worship, and infotainment that is rotting America and reducing us to a Third World Soap Opera.
49
treat all everybody fair . and with respect..
50
More local news ! Hell were zoneing the shit out of everything why not the sports pages ? and less Lib context in the news , save thet for the editorial page , Im so sick of reading the body count out of Iraq that Quotes the same damm web sight thet tell Me in every article How maneyHave been Killed in Iraq. Every Day we read that crap, to the point no one reads it any more and that is truly sad because the War, and it is a War is not being reported. just Propandga.
51
not panic and have a true financial gameplan
52
Take care of my employees
53
make this the paper it once was a great paper a paper for all to read that surpast all other papers againwith great sports not telltape great editorial ad like guns and anything that any body want to advertise in our great paper show freedom of speechand freedom to print what would make us great again
54
close oc and fire all management and rehire.
55
Make a valient effort to improve employee moral in these trying times. It's our only hope. I would also hold people accountible for their work or lack there of. There is no longer a place for slackers, doo-dahs, numb nuts, slugs, weenies, or whiners in this company. We are all making pretty good money. We need to be professionals and all pull together as a team and make something happen in our perspective areas. Or get out. The decision should be an easy one.

The remaining production results to follow