A staff meeting on the topic of pay equity for women staff members has been postponed for a week, but staff members believe progress is being made.
The meeting was scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 8, at 4 p.m., but Gazette and Advocate publisher Michael Rifanburg wrote staff members an email Wednesday evening that the meeting would have to be postponed due to schedule conflicts and would be rescheduled for Thursday, Feb. 15.
Rifanburg declined to comment on the ongoing pay equity issue, but Gazette Interim Editor Debra Scherban said the postponement had nothing to do with the issue at hand.
“We’re moving in a positive direction,” Scherban said Thursday. “We look forward to getting together next week.”
Gazette Photo Editor Carol Lollis agreed.
“I feel like we’re in a good place,” Lollis said. “We’re working hard to make things right.”
Pay equity issues at the Gazette and it’s parent company, Newspapers of New England, Inc., came to public notice following an email sent by Jeff Good, former Gazette editor and Advocate executive editor, on January 31. Good said in the email he was fired for standing up for pay equity, though Rifanburg and other staff members disputed that.
Dave Eisenstadter can be reached at deisen@valleyadvocate.com.
