Approximately 500 union employees at Cleveland, Ohio's newspaper the Plain Dealer, have agreed to an 8.1 percent wage cut and 11 days of unpaid furlough, Cleveland.com reported.

The employees, which include reporters, editors, and delivery truck drivers, agreed to the cuts two months later than their non-Union colleagues, who agreed to similar reductions in pay in April.

Carmen Praise, president of the Teamsters local associated with the Plain Dealer unions said most employees were willing to accept the cuts, adding, "nobody likes to go to work for less...but they understand it. The majority of people agreed to step up to the plate and give this paper the opportunity to turn things around."

President and Publisher of the Plain Dealer, Terry Egger said his paper is set on providing printed news seven days a week and willing to make necessary cuts in order to maintain regular printing schedules.

"We want to keep this company going as a seven-day newspaper for as long as we can," Egger said, according to Cleveland.com

Members of the Boston Newspaper Guild, the Boston Globe's largest union, will receive more information tonight on the agreement made with parent company the New York Times Co. to cut US$10 million, the Boston Globe reported today. The tentative deal will create savings by making "deep wage cuts, freeze pensions for many employees, and essentially eliminate the lifetime job guarantees held by veteran employees," the article stated. Guild members will vote on the Times Co.'s offer in what is expected to be "a difficult ratification process."

The agreement to present the company's final offer to union members for a vote was reached on early Wednesday morning. If passed, it will yield half the $20 million in savings required by the Times Co. to allow the paper to remain open. A majority of the cuts were directed toward the Guild because it is the largest of the Globe's seven unions, representing 600 newsroom employees. The Globe was encouraged to grant these concessions under threat of closure, Market Watch reported.

The Florida Communications Group (FCG) branch of Media General Inc. has laid of 53 employees at its various publications, including the Tampa Tribune, Editor & Publisher reported. The layoffs were reported to be mostly from operations, not the newsroom.

A three-day furlough has also been implemented by the FCG. The days, which are in addition to the 10 that were instated at the beginning of the year, will be taken between April and June.

The Tribune has reported that the FCG's publications are "under review" for potential closure following the shutting down of the group's publications, Skirt and Flair. Twelve vacant positions will also disappear and some news bureaux risk closing their doors. In a memo, FCG President John Schueler told employees that "Tampa Bay's economy is not recovering" and explained, "therefore we will need to further reduce our operating costs."

As part of McClatchy Co.'s restructuring plan, job cuts and reduced wages will be implemented at newspapers in Lexington, Kentucky, and Charlotte, North Carolina, the Associated Press reported.

The Lexington Herald-Leader plans to lay off 49 full-time employees, about 15 percent of its staff, and cut the salary of remaining employees. Four part-time employees will also lose their jobs.

The Charlotte Observer will cut 60 full-time and 22 part-time employees across departments. Nineteen of the full-time positions and 11 of the part-time positions will be from the newsroom. The Observer has also announced pay cuts for remaining employees, with cutbacks in hours for some. Weeklong furloughs have also been proposed if economic conditions don't improve, the AP reported.