Dark times for the Sun-Times.

Fourteen production staffers have been cut from the Chicago Sun-Times, Jim Romenesko reports.

You’ll recall that the Sun-Times laid off its entire photography staff, including Pulitzer Prize winner John H. White, and photographer Rob Hart (who posted the inside story to Tumblr), just six weeks ago.

The paper also cut its book coverage on July 14, though its book review section has been limited for some time.

In its official statement, the paper said:

The Sun-Times has expanded its relationship with Affinity Express for advertising services after more than two years of partnership with consistently positive results. This decision will help the company to optimize its ad production operation, but has led to the elimination of certain roles. We are working with affected employees on the transition, which will occur over the next few months.

The production work will be done through Elgin, Illinois that outsources its designs to the Phillipines (with an office in Manila).

The Newspaper Guild has been hard at work to reverse the layoffs since news of the photography staff broke, picketing in early June. From Chicago Newspaper Guild president Dave Pollard:

The company’s move to outsource its remaining layout department to a firm in the Philippines may seem fiscally prudent in their eyes, but it saddens me. It seems like the company is consistently moving away from what journalism is all about. No more photographers, no more people at arms’ length to reach out to and make sure an advertisement is where it is supposed to be in the newspaper. Sure, technological advancements have made things easier, but when all is said and done, the company’s brands are fueled by these employees and journalists who are out in the community — the blood that helps the heart of these newspapers keep pumping. Outsourcing photographers has already created devastating consequences and this most recent move may prove to be just as devastating.