The Chicago Tribune is offering buyouts to the newsroom’s union members.
The Chicago Tribune Guild said in an email to members that Tribune Publishing notified the union Wednesday night about the buyouts. A “voluntary separation plan” FAQ page on the buyouts says only full-time newsroom guild members are eligible to apply for the buyouts.
In a statement, the union said cutting staff as “a short-term profit boost” is unsustainable and short-sighted.
“Buyouts will harm the newspaper’s mission and hurt our company long-term,” the guild’s statement says. “And because of that, they will hurt Chicagoans too. The Tribune should focus on building readership by investing in strong coverage that serves the region, not cutting staff to chase a sugar high. This plan is based on greed, not any sort of long-term planning.”
Representatives for Chicago Tribune Media Group and Alden Global Capital, which owns Tribune Publishing, did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
The period to apply for this round of buyouts opens June 26 and closes July 7 at 3 p.m. The last day for employees taking the buyout will be July 11.
The @chicagotribune is offering buyouts to our journalists. This move by Alden Global Capital, our rapacious ownership group, shows a total lack of vision and respect for the newsroom and the city we serve. We will do whatever we can to support our members. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/KC4P0IFyer
— Chicago Tribune Guild (@CTGuild) June 12, 2025
Alden has given no reason for the buyouts, Jake Sheridan, the guild’s chair, told the Sun-Times.
It was not immediately known how many positions the company was looking to cut, what dollar amount it was trying to save, the reason for the buyouts or if layoffs could follow. The Tribune’s guild currently has 75 members.
It was also unclear if buyouts were coming for the dozens of other publications Alden owns, Sheridan said. Tribune Design and Production Studio, which handles print design for the Tribune and several other newspapers, will also be offered buyouts.
“On the one hand, it’s never surprising when Alden shows its disregard for journalism,” Sheridan said, “but on the other hand, we aren’t convinced the newspaper is in a dire financial situation.”
The understanding in the newsroom was the paper was at least on stable ground within a struggling industry, Sheridan said. The Tribune had a good financial year in 2024, especially given the Freedom Center sale and healthy digital and print subscriptions.
The current buyout package shared with employees only includes the severance payouts dictated under the guild’s two-year contract.
According to the plan, full-time employees with up to 12 years of continuous service will get two weeks of base pay for the first year of employment. They’ll then get one week of pay per year of service with a maximum of 12 total weeks of pay. Employees with over 12 years get the same deal, but with a maximum of 21 weeks of pay.
Sheridan says guild leaders are hopeful they can negotiate a better package for members.
“I’m really grateful that we have our union. This would look a lot different if we didn’t fight for meaningful protections,” he said. “Thank god we’re organized and we have protections and we know how to fight.”
The Guild, which ratified its first-ever contract seven months ago, noted that the details of the buyout could change. Guild leaders have two weeks to negotiate the buyout package with the company.
The Tribune last went through buyouts in 2021, just days after Alden Global Capital acquired Tribune Publishing. Nearly 40 employees left the Tribune as a part of that buyout program.
Recent buyouts at the Chicago Sun-Times reduced the newsroom’s staff by 20%.