Top Columnist, 78 Others Leaving N.Y. Post in Buyout

Noted sports columnist Peter Vecsey and 78 other New York Post employees will leave the newspaper under a buyout plan that was part of a $19-million union concession package designed to keep the paper alive.

The Newspaper Guild resignations, which were voluntary, mean the Post will lose close to 200 of its 960 workers.

Agreements reached last week called for 100 forced resignations from the 263-member drivers union and five from the Post’s 17 paper handlers.

All are to receive the same buyout package, which includes full severance and an extra eight weeks’ pay that they would have been entitled to if the paper had closed.

The newspaper had sought only 43 resignations from the guild--plus a 20% pay cut--to keep the paper running.

But owner Peter Kalikow agreed in a last-minute compromise to accept however many voluntary resignations were tendered. Anyone choosing to resign by 5 p.m. Wednesday would get the same termination and severance pay as if the paper had closed.

Post Editor Jerry Nachman said about half of the guild resignations were from the newsroom, which translates to about one third of the news staff.

Vecsey, whose gossipy, acerbic column was closely followed by fans of professional basketball, will begin a sports column at USA Today on Oct. 1.