Transcontinental Media eliminated more than 20 jobs this morning in its newly merged Business and Consumer Solutions Group. The layoffs follow an upper management reorganization that saw Pierre Marcoux replace John Clinton as the head of the company's magazine publishing division.

In a memo to staff, Marcoux wrote:

Unfortunately, during the past months, the economic situation has not improved and our customers are still holding back on their advertising investments. Therefore, the Business and Consumer Solutions Group management team must implement additional cost reduction measures.
 
These measures are needed to adjust to the current economic climate and to review our work methods. Modifying our work processes during this transition period will allow us to pursue our development in a more efficient way. Unfortunately, these changes involve the reduction of positions.

At a meeting, staff were told that 13 people in Toronto, six in Vancouver and 10 in Montreal would be affected by the cuts, but only 22 positions were listed in the memo to staff:

• Production operations are being centralized, resulting in the elimination of eight jobs in Toronto and one in Montreal. In Toronto, one of the eight employees will be redeployed to a new position, while four others will have the opportunity to accept a transfer to the Montreal production centre, which will now be located in the Transcontinental building at 300 Ann Street in Montreal.
• In Toronto, three sales staff have been cut: one in creative services, one co-ordinator, and one sales assistant in the key accounts area.
• Productions Maison Direct and Maison d’Aujourd’hui, currently located at 3390 E. Cremazie in Montreal, will move their activities to 2001 University. Two jobs will be lost as a result.
• Four people have been cut from Vancouver Magazine's staff (specific departments were not mentioned), though two of these employees will be redeployed to new positions inside the organization.
• Four positions were cut in Business Solutions, but specific positions were not listed.