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Ken Proctor, director of professional, trade, and reference books at Prentice - Hall Canada, confirmed in late April that jobs had been offered to some employees of Maxwell Macmillan's small trade and reference department, but would not reveal the number of positions open at Prentice - Hall. The following week, Prentice - Hall spokesperson Robert Ramsay told Q&Q that "Prentice - Hall doesn't comment on matters of staffing."
As part of its commitment to Investment Canada, Paramount promised to "ensure any personnel affected by the integration of Maxwell Macmillan Canada with Prentice - Hall Canada will be considered for job opportunities within the organization, or be provided with assistance in obtaining other employment." A government document later leaked to The Toronto Star revealed that Paramount planned to lay off 68 of Maxwell Macmillan's 115 employees.
One week later, Paramount owner Viacom announced it had reversed the decision. In a press release, Viacom said the proposed change had stemmed from new "reporting relationships" at Paramount Publishing in the U.S., and that after consultation with Investment Canada, it had decided to continue distributing "certain of its general reference titles, including the Betty Crocker and Prentice - Hall travel imprints, through a Canadian - owned distributor." Ramsay later confirmed that all the lines had been returned to Distican, although at Q&Q's press time in early May, Paramount had not decided if that was where they would stay.
CANADIAN publishers are watching closely for signs of job losses at Maxwell Macmillan as Paramount consolidates the operations of its three Canadian subsidiaries -- Maxwell Macmillan, Prentice - Hall Canada, and Ginn -- into a single publisher with estimated annual revenues of $110 - million in the educational market.
In late April, Paramount said that Maxwell Macmillan's adult and children's trade lines were moving to Canadian - owned Distican, in compliance with undertakings made to the Canadian government (see April Q&Q, p. 4). Distribution of Maxwell Macmillan's eight reference imprints was moved to Prentice - Hall Canada.
Ken Proctor, director of professional, trade, and reference books at Prentice - Hall Canada, confirmed in late April that jobs had been offered to some employees of Maxwell Macmillan's small trade and reference department, but would not reveal the number of positions open at Prentice - Hall. The following week, Prentice - Hall spokesperson Robert Ramsay told Q&Q that "Prentice - Hall doesn't comment on matters of staffing."
As part of its commitment to Investment Canada, Paramount promised to "ensure any personnel affected by the integration of Maxwell Macmillan Canada with Prentice - Hall Canada will be considered for job opportunities within the organization, or be provided with assistance in obtaining other employment." A government document later leaked to The Toronto Star revealed that Paramount planned to lay off 68 of Maxwell Macmillan's 115 employees.
NO ASSURANCES
With the unemployment rate hovering around 11%, and few jobs open in the publishing industry, some Maxwell Macmillan staff say they are unwilling to risk even a short lay - off, and have begun scouting for new positions. "Some people have mortgages, kids -- they're more concerned about job security than severance packages," said one employee.
In the college division, several sales reps have quietly begun looking for new work -- despite informal assurances their jobs would be safe through the traditionally busy spring sales period, and that Prentice - Hall would be in a good position to hire many of them after the $9 - million - a - year division falls under its direction later this summer.
Employees in the school division have received no such assurances. In early May, speculation was mounting that McGraw - Hill Ryerson would take over distribution of U.S. school lines Macmillan/McGraw - Hill and Glencoe from Maxwell Macmillan. "I've been hearing the same rumours," says McGraw - Hill Ryerson school marketing manager Valerie Bulanda. "But there's been no official word."
Government documents show Paramount had originally hoped to place a total of 40 Maxwell Macmillan employees at McGraw - Hill Ryerson and the Canadian - owned distributor of its imported agency lines -- Distican. But Distican president Susan Stoddart told Q&Q that she had just hired five new warehouse staff -- none of them from Maxwell Macmillan -- to handle the anticipated increase in business from Maxwell Macmillan's imported consumer lines, and was in the process of hiring two new publicists.
Paramount also agreed in its undertakings to increase from one to three the number of summer internships offered at Prentice - Hall Canada, but spokesperson Robert Ramsay refused to comment on how many students the company had hired this summer, saying only that "Prentice - Hall is complying fully with all of its undertakings."
APPARENT CONTRAVENTION
Concern over jobs at Paramount's subsidiaries follows an outcry over the firm's plan to move several imprints from Distican, which is Canadian - owned but does not have an indigenous publishing program, back to Prentice - Hall -- an apparent contravention of its undertaking to place consumer - book lines with Canadian - owned distributors.
An ad announcing the change in the May Q&Q prompted Bill Harnum, president of the Association of Canadian Publishers, to write to Canadian Heritage Minister Michel Dupuy asking him to investigate whether the move violated Paramount's promise, since at least two of the lines -- Betty Crocker and Prentice - Hall travel -- were clearly consumer.
One week later, Paramount owner Viacom announced it had reversed the decision. In a press release, Viacom said the proposed change had stemmed from new "reporting relationships" at Paramount Publishing in the U.S., and that after consultation with Investment Canada, it had decided to continue distributing "certain of its general reference titles, including the Betty Crocker and Prentice - Hall travel imprints, through a Canadian - owned distributor." Ramsay later confirmed that all the lines had been returned to Distican, although at Q&Q's press time in early May, Paramount had not decided if that was where they would stay.
In the U.S., all the lines except H.M. Gousha (maps and atlases) and Prentice - Hall General Reference are grouped under Macmillan General Reference in Paramount's business, technical, and professional group.
Prentice - Hall Canada president John Isley denied that the terms of Paramount's commitments were ever breached, adding that the decision was reversed to "foster good relations with the government and the publishing community." For the ACP's part, Harnum says he is "pleased" the imprints are returning to a Canadian publisher, but added, "this is no great victory for Canadian publishing, and it doesn't say much about the power of the undertakings in the first place."
Viacom's press release was issued by Robert Ramsay, vice - president and creative director of Advance Planning & Communications, a Toronto - based corporate PR firm that handles such contentious projects as John Bitove's Toronto NBA franchise and the Windsor, Ontario, casino. Most inquiries to Paramount's Canadian subsidiaries were formerly referred to New York. Scott Anderson
Copyright Quill and Quire Jun 1994