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CWA Printing Sector Blasts Detroit Newspapers For ‘Lies’ Concerning Buyout
Detroit Newspapers Inc. has misled the media and the public to believe CWA turned its back on sister unions of the Metropolitan Council of Newspaper Unions by accepting a buyout for printers in Detroit as part of a collective bargaining agreement, said Bill Boarman, CWA vice president for the union’s printing sector.
“Management lies started the Detroit strike more than two and one-half years ago,” Boarman charged. “Now we have more lies from the same people stirring up new problems.”
Detroit Newspapers, which runs non-editorial functions for the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News, on Feb. 24 announced it had concluded collective bargaining agreements with five skilled trades unions, which have not been on strike and which are not members of the Council.
Tacked onto the announcement, as reported by Reuters news service, “The company also said Tuesday it reached agreements on pension and early retirement proposals with two unions that did strike, the International Typographical Union and the Teamsters.”
Said Boarman, “The company’s buyout offer is designed to undermine the situations of more than 75 workers who returned to their jobs following the end of the Detroit strike a year ago, and to exploit the insecurities of others who have been badly abused by their employer. DNA’s primary motive, however is to get management off the hook as cheaply as possible.”
An administrative law judge ruled in November 1997 that Detroit Newspapers, the Gannett-owned News and Knight-Ridder’s Free Press must return to their jobs all workers from the six unions that went on strike July 13, 1995. However, a federal judge delayed enforcement of the ruling until an appeal has been reviewed by the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C.
Boarman, anticipating a favorable ruling, pointed out that the Detroit conflict has generated more unfair labor practice charges and related complaints than any strike in recent history.
“If, as we expect they will, the courts uphold the charges which have been lodged against DNA, Gannett and Knight-Ridder, the company will have far greater legal liabilities than the cost of these buyouts.”
The buyout proposal, in various forms, has been floated to ITU 18 (CWA Local 14503) for a number of months. The affected members were scheduled to vote on accepting it March 1.
“Management lies started the Detroit strike more than two and one-half years ago,” Boarman charged. “Now we have more lies from the same people stirring up new problems.”
Detroit Newspapers, which runs non-editorial functions for the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News, on Feb. 24 announced it had concluded collective bargaining agreements with five skilled trades unions, which have not been on strike and which are not members of the Council.
Tacked onto the announcement, as reported by Reuters news service, “The company also said Tuesday it reached agreements on pension and early retirement proposals with two unions that did strike, the International Typographical Union and the Teamsters.”
Said Boarman, “The company’s buyout offer is designed to undermine the situations of more than 75 workers who returned to their jobs following the end of the Detroit strike a year ago, and to exploit the insecurities of others who have been badly abused by their employer. DNA’s primary motive, however is to get management off the hook as cheaply as possible.”
An administrative law judge ruled in November 1997 that Detroit Newspapers, the Gannett-owned News and Knight-Ridder’s Free Press must return to their jobs all workers from the six unions that went on strike July 13, 1995. However, a federal judge delayed enforcement of the ruling until an appeal has been reviewed by the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C.
Boarman, anticipating a favorable ruling, pointed out that the Detroit conflict has generated more unfair labor practice charges and related complaints than any strike in recent history.
“If, as we expect they will, the courts uphold the charges which have been lodged against DNA, Gannett and Knight-Ridder, the company will have far greater legal liabilities than the cost of these buyouts.”
The buyout proposal, in various forms, has been floated to ITU 18 (CWA Local 14503) for a number of months. The affected members were scheduled to vote on accepting it March 1.