Post-Dispatch protest video

The St. Louis Newspaper Guild posted a video of Tuesday's protest outside the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Post-Dispatch retirees protest Lee's insurance decision

About 75 St. Louis Post-Dispatch retirees and union reps picketed this morning in front of the newspaper's office. Last week, Lee told many Post-Dispatch retirees that their health insurance would be eliminated. One of the retirees at the protest sent in these great photos:







KMOX also has several photos.

Lee: Ad sales up, cost-cutting to continue

Lee filed its 10-K annual report Friday. This year, the report didn't include notes from the auditor about going concerns. It does say the company will continue to cut costs and that ad sales are up for the third consecutive month. Read the report here and Lee's statement about the report here.

Protest planned at Post-Dispatch

St. Louis Post-Dispatch union retirees who recently received notice that their health insurance would be eliminated plan to protest outside the newspaper's offices Tuesday morning. About 100 union members who retired from 1994 to 2004 are affected by the insurance announcement.

(If you're there, send updates and/or photos to lee.ent.watch@gmail.com)

2 Lee papers available on Kindle

The Quad-City Times and St. Louis Post-Dispatch are both available for Amazon's Kindle.

The Quad-City Times is $5.99 per month. It is No. 9 (out of nine) on the midwest best-seller list. The Post-Dispatch is $6.99 per month. It is No. 6 on the same best-seller list.

The Chicago Tribune at $9.99 a month is the most popular.

Insurance canceled for some Post-Dispatch retirees

Many St. Louis Post-Dispatch retirees were notified Monday that, starting Jan. 1, health insurance will be eliminated. Those younger than 65 would have to pay 100 percent of their premiums. Retirees 65 and older -- those with Medicare-- will be dropped from Lee plans. This comes a few weeks after a notice that premiums would be slightly higher in the new year.

St. Louis Newspaper Guild president Jeff Gordon says the union will fight the decision. "These people were assured when they retired that they would get the insurance for life," Gordon told KMOX in St. Louis. "For many, that was an inducement to take an early buyout or retire ahead of time."

I admit, I don't know much about health insurance for retirees at Lee papers. Retirement is far away; it's a case of young and clueless. A reader has asked about insurance for retirees at other papers -- anyone have an answer?

Journal Times lays off employees

Racine Post reports that The Journal Times in Racine, Wis., has laid off accounting employees, merging those operations with the billing department at the La Crosse (Wis.) Tribune.