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STANDING STRONG FOR 1,459 DAYS — THE FIGHT'S NOT OVER YET JULY 11-17, 1999 THE DETROIT VOL. 4 NO. 34 75 CENTS S u n d a yIo u r n a l PUBLISHED BY LOCKED-OUT DETROIT NEWSPAPER WORKERS ©TDSJ JIM WEST/Special to the Journal Nicholle Murphy’s support for her grandmother, Teamster Meka Murphy, has been unflagging. Marching fourward Come Tuesday, it will be four yearsstrong and determined. In this editionOwens’ editorial points out the facthave shown up. We hope that we will since the day in July of 1995 that ofour the Sunday Journal, co-editor Susanthat the workers are in this strugglehave contracts before we have to put Detroit newspaper unions were forcedWatson muses on the times of happiuntil the end and we are not goingtogether any another anniversary edition. to go on strike. Although the companess and joy, in her Strike Diarywhere. on On Pages 19-22 we show offBut four years or 40, with your help, nies tried mightily, they never Pagedid 3. Starting on Page 4, we putmembers the in our annual Family Albumsolidarity and support, we will be here, break us. Four years after pickingevents up of the struggle on the record.and also give you a glimpse of somestanding of strong. our first picket signs, we remainOn Page 10, locked-out worker Keiththe far-flung places where lawn signs— Sunday Journal staff PAGE 10 JULY 11 1999 Co-editors:Susan Watson, Jim McFarlin --------------------- Managing Editor: Emily Everett General Manager: Tom Schram Published by Detroit Sunday Journal Inc. 450 W. Fort Detroit, Mich. 48226 313-964-5655 Fax: 313-964-5554 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://ww.rust.net/~workers/strike.html Metro NY Labor Communications Council Communicator of the Year The Working Group Joady Award Winner Media & Democracy Congress Media Hero of the Year It’s been 4 years and we’re not going away uly 1995. for all we’re worth. Damn. Our predecessors paid a heavy July 1995? price — some paid the ultimate price That can’t be right, can it?— to give working people the right to You mean we’ve been out here fighta fair and equitable working relation ing for four years and we haven’tship with their employers. The least thrown in the towel yet? Westill we can do is to honor the price that haven’t crossed the picket line? Wewas paid on our behalf. After benefit still actually believe it’s worth alling from the blood and sweat of their we’ve gone through to hard-fought efforts, to 'U rf, stand up for what we do anything less would believe in, even when so Obviously the be unforgivable. many have forgotten us,newspapers are To date, we have won ‘We have to alter our flight plan. The airline declared Chapter 11, written us off or simply every court battle deal turned their backs? thumbing their ing with the question of and we can’t land until we’re cleared by bankruptcy court.” What is the m atter with noses at the law. whether the Detroit us? News, Detroit Free Guess we just know Press and Detroit we’re right. Newspapers violated federal labor commentaiy Those of us who have remained onlaw in their dealings with their strike and locked out for all theseunions. The National Labor Relations years never believed it would last thisBoard — a panel composed of both long. More importantly, those insideRepublicans and Democrats — ruled White-collar cons the Detroit News, Detroit Free Press unanimously in 1998 that the papers and DN who have been on the receivare guilty of unfair labor practices. ing end of our strike-related activitiesThe board found that the News, Free for all this time never would havePress and DN caused and prolonged talk trash for cash believed it, either. the strike. It ordered them to return The last thing the Detroit newspaus to our jobs with back pay. By Jim Hightower the Cons. pers planned on was just how deter The case is now before the U.S. AlterNet News Headed by former CPA and non mined we’d be, just how long weCourt of Appeals, which will, in due oday, Spaceship Hightowercriminal Gary Zeune, Pros & Cons would hold out — and ju st howtime, also find the papers guilty of takes you to the fringes ofspecializes in providing conventions strongly we believe in the righteouscriminal behavior. career opportunities, to aof accountants with speakers who ness of our cause. Obviously the newspapers are place you might not want talkto about how they stole from Some say that might makes right.thumbing their noses at the law —Tgo. clients. If you look at this long-term struggleand the community — even as their Webster Hubbell is one of the stars“It’s kind of like an alcoholic talking simply in terms of how much corpocirculation deteriorates, their reputa out there, as are Mark Morse, about what happened to them when rate money has been spent againsttions suffer and their back-pay billsNicholas Wallace and a few other — they started drinking,” Hubbell says. us, that would seem to favor thecontinue to mount. how shall I put this? — finaglers.“There’s something about confes newspapers. We’re not going away, man. We’re They are all former executives whosion.” But if right makes might, then thejust not. ended up in the pokey because Zeune,of who has five former convicts enduring strength of our belief that assorted white-collar crimes. in his troupe, says they’re great for strong unions and fair contracts are Hubbell is the former U.S. Justicethe staid and usually boring CPA essential to the fair operation of Department official who had to stepmeetings, because the charm and Detroit’s two largest newspapers is 10-second editorial down because of publicity aboutother qualities that helped these all the might we will ever need. improprieties at his law firm that guys hoodwink bankers also make In shorthand? We’re not goingWith James P. Hoffa sent him to prison for mail fraud andthem good speakers. And, of course, away, man. We’re just not. tax evasion. Morse did four years inthey are experts at fraud, which Sure we get tired, and during our and a beach party on jail for his role in a carpet-cleaningCPAs are hired to detect. weakest times we may wonder if this Lafayette Street, company that bilked investors outIn of the strange world of corporate thing will ever end or how long can some $100 million. Wallace did sevencriminals, they do the crime, do the we keep it up. Those are the times we Thursday will be a ban years for a $350 million fraud with time,a then profit by talking about it. look back over the history of thener day for locked-out Florida brokerage house. union struggle in this country andDetroit newspaper The Wall Street Journal reports Jim Hightower hosts “Live at the realize that what we’re going that these fine fellows, having beenChat & Chew,” broadcast by United through, trying though it may workers.be, Join us for our pros in the field of high finance, thenBroadcasting Network, and is the isn’t nearly as bad as what our brothfourth-anniversary cele having been cons in various prisons,author of “There’s Nothing in the ers and sisters before us had to go now have made new career moves,Middle of the Road but Yellow Stripes through just to create the unionbration of solidarity. going on the lecture circuit withand a Dead Armadillos.” His Web site movement that we are now defending speakers bureau called the Pros &is www.jimhightower.com I JULY 11, 1999 THE DETROIT SUNDAY JOURNAL PAGE 11 Here’s a plan to get guns out of the house ere’s a question about keep guns at home. The Constitutionyou register a car. You should operate guns: also talks about an armed militia. it by similar rules and you should be The National Rifle Association and its subject to losing your privilege if you C h r is followers hang their Uzis on thatviolate your firearm. H If the hunting season in rather lame canard. But let’s get real. As for handguns, there’s no excuse o o k various states is an average C At the time the Second Amendment for owning one. Period. 4-6 weeks, why do you need to have was written, the right to bears arms What if we did ban handguns out guns around the house for the was seen as essential to the nation’sright? Which industry would be remaining 46 or so weeks of the year? need to defend itself against an invad irreparably harmed? Did you know Considering the overwhelming ing army, in our case, the British. that of all the major handgun brands issue of kids and killing, stolen guns,office. A desk sergeant would have The infant United States of sold in this country, not one is and sawed-off long guns used in crimecontrol and be able to give you accessAmerica had just come through moreAmerican-owned? Glock is Austrian, and by gangs, we must also address to your weapon 24 hours a day. than 20 years of warfare — foughtBeretta is Italian, Smith & Wesson is the question of whether to regulateIn the off-season, we would be almost totally in retreat and with a now British-owned, Browning and hunting rifles, shotguns and otherallowed to take the guns out anytimepatchwork corps of irregulars, most severalof others are also European.