Family-owned newspaper chain to end employee health insurance




Western Communications, a family-owned company that owns six papers in Oregon and two in California, is eliminating its employee health insurance plan effective January 1,

media blogger Jim Romenesko reported.

The company has 280 employees on its plan, Romenesko’s report said.

Western’s flagship paper is the 28,000-circulation

Bend

(Ore.)

Bulletin.

Publisher Gordon Black’s memo to Western employees, published on Romenesko’s blog, said, “We considered and researched every conceivable alternative. We found nothing was fair or affordable.”

Black’s memo referred employees to Oregon and California state exchanges. He wrote, “We would not be doing this if it wasn’t absolutely essential for the well-being of the company and by extension, you as an employee.”

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Romenesko reported: “The family-owned chain is making some money, says Black, but just ‘eeking [sic] by.'” (Source: JimRomeneko.com, Nov. 26, 2013.)

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