So it looks like the Boston Globe will keep negotiating for now, according to paidcontent.org:

The New York Times Co. (NYSE: NYT) has backed off its threat to file notice today to close the Boston Globe despite failing to reach agreement with the Boston Newspaper Guild. The company says it has reached agreements with six of the paper’s seven unions but that it is exploring alternatives “under both the Guild contract and applicable law to achieve as quickly as possible the workplace flexibility and remaining cost savings we need to help put The Globe on a sound financial footing.”

But the Globe is far from being safe. My question is, what would it be like in Boston to lose the major daily newspaper? Their main competitor, the Boston Herald, is a tabloid with about half the circulation and less reporters. I’m trying to find the exact number but so far I keep finding only 10 full-time reporters at the Herald. How could that possibly be enough to cover an area that’s home to about 4.4 million people?

Personally I hope that the unions can reach an agreement. I don’t think the NYT wants to add the closing of the Boston Globe to their list of accomplishments for 2009, next to their 5 Pulitzers. The unions  may have to make some concessions, but it’s better than the alternative.

Here’s the full NYT/Boston Globe statement:

“We are very pleased to have reached agreements with six of the seven unions that were involved in recent negotiations. This includes agreements with the drivers, mailers, pressmen, the electricians, machinists, and technical services group. As a result of these agreements, which are subject to ratification by union members, we expect to achieve both the workplace flexibility and the financial savings that we sought from these unions. We are not, therefore, making a filing today under the Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. We appreciate the productive and cooperative approach demonstrated by the leadership of these unions throughout these difficult negotiations.

We are disappointed, however, that we have not yet been able to reach an agreement with the Guild. Because of that, we are evaluating our alternatives under both the Guild contract and applicable law to achieve as quickly as possible the workplace flexibility and remaining cost savings we need to help put The Globe on a sound financial footing.”