Last year the staff at the Orange County Register took a pay cut I've heard was 5%. They have apparently been getting some of it back in recent quarters, but now comes a nice-sized boost for fulltimers. The editor's memo says the hard time aren't over, but that things are looking up:

From: Ken Brusic
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 3:44 PM
To: Newsroom Assoc_OCR
Subject: Good News

Hard work does pay off. In this case, $1,377 for every full time associate, and half that for part time workers.

You will see this additional amount in this week’s pay. It comes to us courtesy of the company’s Pay for Performance program. It is the 4th quarter payout, recognizing the company’s strong efforts in achieving its 2009 financial goals.

More after the jump.

I’ve attached a letter from Publisher Terry Horne who expresses his gratitude for your accomplishments. I offer my own thanks. We not only made money, but we provided a powerful service to our community. Despite the brutal economy, we persevered. Our journalism informed, enlightened and engaged our readers online and in print. And we did it, for the most part, with a spirit of collaboration, hard work and good will.

The tough times aren’t over. The economy is still rocky. Revenue is still a concern. But our journalistic purpose and mission are as strong as ever. And this time, we have a piece of good news to take home and share with our families. It is a privilege to work with you.

-- Ken