At Least 120 Cut From Press-Telegram Staff

About 120 employees of the Long Beach Press-Telegram have been terminated as the sale of the 100-year newspaper to Dean Singleton’s MediaNews Group was completed this week, union officials said. Employees asked to stay on were offered salaries that are at least 21% lower, said Linda Cearly, a Newspaper Guild/Communications Workers of America representative. After Singleton--who two weeks ago announced plans to buy the Los Angeles Daily News--agreed to acquire the Press-Telegram, he told its 450 employees they had to re-interview for their jobs. He also said at the time that not all would be rehired and that salaries would probably be cut. Although the Guild sued, contending the tactic was in violation of its contract, an arbitrator ruled Wednesday that it was not. Officials of Garden State Newspapers, the MediaNews affiliate that now operates the Press-Telegram, refused to comment on the terminations. Cearly said the 120 positions eliminated involve about 30 editorial employees who are Guild members, as well as pressroom workers, graphic artists, administrative personnel and others. Denver-based MediaNews also owns the Pasadena Star News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune and Whittier Daily News.