GOING, GOING, GONE! Those Grocery Ads Were Created in India?

A move that started among small community dailies and weeklies is gaining momentum. And, much of that work is being contracted to Affinity Express, Inc., which bills itself as an "Elgin, Illinois-based U.S. company." More than 90 percent of that company's 900 employees do their work halfway across the world in Pune, India or in the Philippines.
The latest big company to announce a "partnership" with Affinity is the Sun-Times Media Group, publishers of the Chicago Sun-Times, Fox Valley Publications, Midwest Suburban Publishing, Pioneer Press and Post-Tribune.
In its February 19, 2008 announcement that it will begin outsourcing "most of its print and online advertising productionÓ to Affinity, the Sun-Times said
the arrangement will result in Òheadcount reductions"--a euphemism for layoffs--as part of the $3 million in savings it expects to realize.
A year ago Affinity came to the Columbus (OH) Dispatch, taking the jobs of 90 production workers. CWA Columbus Local 4250 represents the printers there who have lifetime job guarantees. They were not affected by the decision. The ad personnel who lost their jobs were non-union.
"You could have knocked me over with a feather," said Gus Ruzicka, a retired Dispatch printer who represents Sector members in the local. "I never thought I would see the day when a daily paper would put so much of its operations in the hands of an outside firm--a company thousands of miles away."
Ruzicka says not long after Affinity Express began operations for the Dispatch he got a call from a lady who was frustrated because a paid obituary ad for her brother had been printed wrong. "It was after hours and the newsroom told her everything had already gone to India. The only thing she could do was wait until morning and get the paper to print a correctionÑafter the gentleman's
funeral."
Gloria LaRiva, PPMWS President for Bay Area 39521, said the San Jose Mercury News laid off 20 union members after it outsourced ad work to a different Indian company, KCS Express located near Delhi, India. It's also happening now at the Contra Costa Times where a unit of non-union graphic artists will be replaced with outsourcing, she says.
"We tried to slow it down in San Jose, but we lost. Now, we're helping the laid off workers get their Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) benefits for retraining," LaRiva says.
The Macon (GA) Telegraph handed over a substantial portion of its advertising production to Affinity Express Inc., in early 2008. The move pared down the Telegraph ad staff from 10 to three jobs.
Executives at the Telegraph described the move as "business decision" and soothed advertisers with the assurance that they will not notice any difference except quicker turnaround times. "Customers will retain creative
control over their ads," the paper's HR director said.
The Raleigh (NC) News and Observer, a McClatchey newspaper, in February announced plans to cut 16 jobs from its ad department by sending that work to Affinity. The paper says that work will be done at Affinity Express facilities in the Philippines and India. The company cited faster turnaround and "significant cost savings," but didn't release any figures.
The move in Raleigh will leave 10 jobs in production.
Miami (FL) Herald, last year outsourced ad design and portions of its website to Affinity, including monitoring website content. The company also outsourced copy editing and design work of one of its news sections, "Broward Neighbors," but that move apparently didn't work out so well. The Herald's executive editor said the editorial outsourcing wouldn't be "an appropriate use of this service."
The Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader, another McClatchey paper, is the latest to announce the outsourcing of its ad production. Publisher Tim Kelly said the decision came after "careful review." Layoffs won't be immediate, he said. The Herald-Leader is another customer of Affinity Express.