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July 13, 1995

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Jake from State Farm, Jul 13, 2018.

  1. Jake from State Farm

    Jake from State Farm Well-Known Member

    On that date, 23 years ago today, six unions went on strike against the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press.
    The strike officially lasted five years, when new contracts were ratified.
    There were no winners
    The Guild lost many members, who either crossed, went to different cities or left the business
    Basically, Gannett, with help from Knight-Ridder, fucked with people's live because it could. The papers lost a third of their circulation and never recovered
    I always felt we had to return to the buildings. I came back to The News in 1998, one week shy of three years on strike. I took the buyout in December and moved to Florida. I was able to do that thanks to my Guild pension, which I have along with a 401K, the way it should be. I also have my Guild health insurance to tide me over until Medicare starts. Thanks to the strikers on the anniversary.
    Solidarity forever!!!
     
  2. QYFW

    QYFW Well-Known Member

    The buyout you referenced. This December?
     
  3. Jake from State Farm

    Jake from State Farm Well-Known Member

  4. QYFW

    QYFW Well-Known Member

    Good for you.
     
    Jake from State Farm likes this.
  5. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    What do you mean when you say the strike "officially" lasted five years? Was it over, for practical purposes, earlier?

    When you went back in 1998, was that because your work group went back?
     
  6. Slacker

    Slacker Well-Known Member

    LOL. You got a problem with unions?
     
  7. QYFW

    QYFW Well-Known Member

    I’d like to hear the answers, dummy. :)
     
  8. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    Where’d I say that?
     
  9. Slacker

    Slacker Well-Known Member

    I’d like to hear the answer, dummy. :)
     
    lakefront likes this.
  10. Jake from State Farm

    Jake from State Farm Well-Known Member

    The union made an unconditional offer to return to work in February, 1997. Later that year, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled it was an economic strike instead of being forced by Gannett (which it was). At that point, the News and Free Press started calling workers back as they had openings. I went to work for the Oakland Press for six months until I was recalled. I returned to sports because that's where the opening was, but I could have been assigned to any department.
     
  11. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    I just read the Wiki article on it, which, while I'm sure it leaves out a lot, is pretty interesting.

    Detroit newspaper strike of 1995–97 - Wikipedia

    That they kept on the replacement workers, and only rehired the striking workers as jobs became available, must have made for a contentious working environment.

    What was that like?

    And, the replacement workers are never allowed into the union, right? Like Rick Reed, the MLB pitcher, who was a replacement player was never admitted to the Player's Union.
     
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