The biggest indignity ever done to a newspaper staff

Things have gotten worse over at the Inquirer and Daily News. PW’s Steve Volk has the scoop:

Starting Feb. 1, according to an internal memo, the service that currently cares for the company’s decorative flora will be eliminated “in an effort to reduce costs.”

Some plants will be removed entirely. Remaining vegetation will now rely on newspaper staff to keep them watered and fed. Good luck, we say.

These days Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. (PNI) staff won’t be eating so well themselves.

An earlier internal memo recently notified staff that the cafeteria will no longer serve the entree of the day. Ad reps, reporters and the like will have to make do with sandwiches, salads, pizza and donuts.

Aaaaargh! You can read the whole story here. It includes some great Byko quotes, as all stories about the Daily News should. The full memo is after the jump.

INDOOR PLANT SERVICE CHANGE

Philadelphia Plant Service currently waters and services our indoor plants. In and effort to reduce costs, beginning February 1st this service will be eliminated. Depending on location, this is what to expect from this reduction in service:

• Most plants at Broad Street are owned by PNI [Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.]. Plants located in employee’s offices will be the responsibility of each employee to water. If anyone is not interested in caring for his or her individual plants, please contact Alberta Copper, preferably before the plant has shriveled up.

• Plants located in common areas outside employee’s offices will be the responsibility of the individual departments to maintain. Alberta will be in contact with various departments to identify any unwanted plants.

• The plants in the Systems Department and Composing Room are on a rental plan and are the property of Philadelphia Plant Service and will be removed.

• The plants at SPP are also on a rental plan and are not owned by PNI. Philadelphia Plant Service will remove these plants as well.

Let Them Eat Donuts! [PW]