Here's what we're hearing...

...that UPI White House Correspondent Rick Tomkins, along with laid off U.N. Correspondent Bill Reilly, finished their last day on the job July 31 without an agreed-upon severance package.

...that UPI management, despite a verbal agreement with the union representing Tomkins, Reilly and four of the other 11 people let go in a reorganization, has become unavailable for negotiations with the union rep on a severance package.

...that UPI management did so after two of the six union covered employees (neither Tomkins or Reilly) had the union file a grievance over their dismissal.

Stay tuned...

Also, some of the other folks who recently parted ways with UPI, along with Tomkins and Reilly:

-Dan Olmsted (chief of the central desk editing unit)
-Laura Gilcrest (head of the health/medical pod)
-Shihoko Goto (business reporter)
-Claude Salhani (head of Security and Intelligence pod)
-Kristen Echohard (reporter)