Comments on: Where Seldom Is Heard A Disparaging Word http://www.courantalumni.org/2009/03/12/where-seldom-is-heard-a-disparaging-word/ Where The Latest On Former Hartford Courant Employees Can Be Found Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:09:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Carlos Cunha http://www.courantalumni.org/2009/03/12/where-seldom-is-heard-a-disparaging-word/comment-page-1/#comment-436 Carlos Cunha Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:09:15 +0000 http://www.courantalumni.org/?p=1247#comment-436 Do we smell blood? Interesting to know that they're not indifferent to the puny pokes and jabs of the people they so imperiously, unjustly and indiscriminately deprived of a living during the job drought of a new depression. We can hurt them a little, it seems. And knowing that we can is, I'm sure, not going to incite any of us to try to hurt them still more. I would urge them - and those readers who have miraculously not yet canceled their subscriptions - to keep reading the comments on this blog. Do we smell blood? Interesting to know that they’re not indifferent to the puny pokes and jabs of the people they so imperiously, unjustly and indiscriminately deprived of a living during the job drought of a new depression. We can hurt them a little, it seems. And knowing that we can is, I’m sure, not going to incite any of us to try to hurt them still more. I would urge them – and those readers who have miraculously not yet canceled their subscriptions – to keep reading the comments on this blog.

]]> By: Denis Horgan http://www.courantalumni.org/2009/03/12/where-seldom-is-heard-a-disparaging-word/comment-page-1/#comment-433 Denis Horgan Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:00:15 +0000 http://www.courantalumni.org/?p=1247#comment-433 I had forgotten about that nasty little proviso. In my class (this is sort of like a road cut where the various strata represent the driving out of employees at various times) they had that, too. I objected strenuously to Human Resources and the way we left it was me being told that once I had the money it was pretty unlikely that Tribune was going to come after me and -- most important -- that so long as I could maintain that what I said is what I believed to be true then they couldn't come after me for voicing the truth. That covers a huge swath of sins, of course. Legally it is ground to stand on in the extremely unlikely event that they should ever decide to be seen as ribbing the pockets of dead people. The truth is a pretty handy thing. I had forgotten about that nasty little proviso. In my class (this is sort of like a road cut where the various strata represent the driving out of employees at various times) they had that, too. I objected strenuously to Human Resources and the way we left it was me being told that once I had the money it was pretty unlikely that Tribune was going to come after me and — most important — that so long as I could maintain that what I said is what I believed to be true then they couldn’t come after me for voicing the truth. That covers a huge swath of sins, of course. Legally it is ground to stand on in the extremely unlikely event that they should ever decide to be seen as ribbing the pockets of dead people. The truth is a pretty handy thing.

]]> By: Paul Stern http://www.courantalumni.org/2009/03/12/where-seldom-is-heard-a-disparaging-word/comment-page-1/#comment-431 Paul Stern Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:46:56 +0000 http://www.courantalumni.org/?p=1247#comment-431 I don't think this provision was in the July layoff packet. The promise not to sue was. I don’t think this provision was in the July layoff packet. The promise not to sue was.

]]> By: Larry Williams http://www.courantalumni.org/2009/03/12/where-seldom-is-heard-a-disparaging-word/comment-page-1/#comment-429 Larry Williams Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:26:42 +0000 http://www.courantalumni.org/?p=1247#comment-429 Was this provision in the agreement I signed? I don't remember it, not that it would have made a difference. Who would turn down a bunch of money for the right to criticize? I know I signed away my right to sue, also. The grounds for a lawsuit are more evident in the latest round of layoffs, as older people were laid off even though they were clearly more valuable to the paper than the younger people who were kept. But who wants to sue a bankrupt company and wait years and years for a potential payoff when you can take a payoff right now, even if it's a small payoff? As for it being shameful that a newspaper company of all companies would impose a gag rule, since when have newspaper companies behaved differently from other companies when facing adversity? They all act the same way, paying fired workers not to talk. Was this provision in the agreement I signed? I don’t remember it, not that it would have made a difference. Who would turn down a bunch of money for the right to criticize? I know I signed away my right to sue, also. The grounds for a lawsuit are more evident in the latest round of layoffs, as older people were laid off even though they were clearly more valuable to the paper than the younger people who were kept. But who wants to sue a bankrupt company and wait years and years for a potential payoff when you can take a payoff right now, even if it’s a small payoff?

As for it being shameful that a newspaper company of all companies would impose a gag rule, since when have newspaper companies behaved differently from other companies when facing adversity? They all act the same way, paying fired workers not to talk.

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