INSIDE: METRO DETROIT TV AND MOVIE LISTINGS MARCH 7-13, 1999 ^«EZCTinan!STSni^ VOL. 4 NO. 16 75 CENTS THE DETROIT © S u n d a ylouRN a l CONTINUING THE STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE AND CONTRACTS ©TDSJ NLRB Class struggle clears U-M grad instructors set 2-day By Michael Betzold contract. for the past four months. They are way Journal S taff Writer GEO’s members are graduate stu­seeking a raise in pay from an average he workhorses of the dents who teach a large portion of the$1,133 a month to $1,440 a month The National Labor Relations University of Michigan university’s undergraduate classes. after three years, along with language instructional staff are kicking They say they are overworked andthat would prevent the university Board’s case to force the Detroit up their heels. And that could underpaid. A strike could partially from working part-time instructors daily newspapers to reinstate all Tspell trouble on campus. shut down the campus, depending on many more hours than they are paid their locked-out workers took a U-M’s Graduate Employees how the university’s tenure-track fac­for. big step forward in a 4-0 decisionOrganization (GEO) is planning a two-ulty members respond. GEO mem­ “We’ve really been losing over the announced Friday. day walkout this week and has set abers have been working without a con­years, compared both to the money the deadline of March 15 for an indefinite tract since early February and there The NLRB board in strike if progress isn’t made on a newhas been little progress in negotiations See U-M, Page 5 Washington ruled it would not reconsider its two unanimous rulings of August 27 that ordered the Detroit dailies to reinstate all locked-out workers. In September the dailies filed a motion for reconsideration. The NLRB must ask the Court of Appeals to enforce its orders. The newspapers’ motion had prevented the NLRB’s enforce­ ment division from petitioning Humble the Court of Appeals. The unions are eager to reach that level, but protest action there will take months. Rev. Ed Rowe, pas­ Detroit Regional Director tor of the Central William Schaub said Friday the United Methodist next step will probably be to ask Church in Detroit, the dailies to comply with the bows his head at a August NLRB decisions. protest Tuesday outside of the Union lawyer Sam McKnight Detroit News-Free said of the ruling; “It’s unani­ Press building in mous. It’s right on the money. In Detroit. Rowe spoke my opinion this argument was at a rally for raised for the purpose of delay. locked-out and fired Detroit news­ We hope this clears the decks for paper workers. enforcement of the board’s deci­ More than 200 peo­ sions.” ple attended. See The newspapers said recently Page 4. about 570 former strikers remain on “preferential hiring lists.” But they apparently ignore hundreds who have declined jobs that are not equivalent to their pre­ strike jobs. Journal photo by GEORGE WALDMAN PAGE 10 MARCH 7. 1999 THE DETROIT SUND Justice Committee gives shot in the or hen you’ve been on strike for 19 months, then the strike has turned into a lockout and gone on for another 18 months, it’s easy to lose Wenergy. That’s when a union needs something special. Last September the Detroit newspaper unions had already been mired for 37 months in their labor dispute with the Detroit News, the Detroit Free Press and Detroit Newspapers. Then the unions got something special. Three international unions .■— the Communications Workers of America, the Graphic Communications International Union and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters — created the Workers Justice Committee. It brought together activists from among the 1,000 locked-out and fired newspaper workers. And things started to happen. The last six months were among the liveliest of the labor dispute since its inception in July 1995. Demonstrations picked up at Detroit Newspapers’ main buildings. At the annual Free Press Marathon in October, “it was as if we were sponsoring the marathon,” said locked-out Teamster Dennis Nazelli. The runners, the Mike Zielinski, spectators, the media — they all knew that the labor dis­ pute was continuing. Teamsters International Representative Justice Committee members were going door-to-door in “This is bigger than Detroit. The newspaper workers are fighting for jus­many communities to contradict Detroit Newspapers’ telemarketers and tell peopleit isn’t over yet. tice and dignity for working people everywhere. There’s no stopping the Meanwhile, newspaper executives were getting visits at labor movement that the Detroit newspaper workers are helping to ignite.their ” homes. Suddenly, newspaper workers appeared at plant gates of large factories, spreading the word. In December Knight Ridder bigwigs wanted to tell secu­ rities analysts at the annual Paine Webber Media Conference in New York City how well their Detroit Free Press subsidiary was doing. The Justice Committee “I was the last of five ch turned up right outside the window and told the analystspeople who have raised th the truth. the guys who only could dt They have joined other unions’ picket lines and visitedor material things but abc state legislators. “It’s such a wonderful tl And they made thousands of sandwiches for Detroit’s Meals on Wheels program. when we’re not around ea The Justice Committee has been a shot in the arm. It thing once or twice a weei has kept the struggle alive for justice and fair contracts at the News and Free Press. Gary Rusnell, Local 18 “I’m on the Justice Committee for exactly what the word means: We’re fighting for justice. Justice needs to be served here for what the corporations have done to their employees. I feel that we have to endure whatever is nec­ essary to show the community the sacrifices we’ll make for fair jobs for all. ” JOURNAL PHOTOS BY GEORGE WALDMAN Darryl Ellis, Local 2040 “Throughout the struggle, I’ve been sick, I’ve been broke. But the main thing is my family stayed together, because so many other families didn’t make it through the struggle. So that’s why we have to go one day further. * MARCH 7, 1999 PAGE 11 Post-Monica syndrome hits TV ith TVs February ratings sweeps officially over, capped by the Lewinsky interview, the first wave of midseason replacement shows begins filtering into prime-time schedules this week. To W which I say: Who cares? It’s college hoops week! The NCAA tour­ nament begins! The field of 64! The Road to the Final Four! Does anything else on television really matter? I think not. ■ The NCAA detective series Men’s boast, “created by a Basketball producer of ‘The X- Tournament Files’!” Ah, but not Pairings — 6:30 M cFa r l in THE producer of tonight, CBS Highlights the X-Files. (Channel 62 in Nonetheless, ABC is Detroit), ESPN. banking that The Big Dance Howard Gordon picks its partners in Kansas City. If learned enough out there alongside Michigan State doesn’t land a No. 1 Chris Carter to conjure up equally seed and get to stay in the Midwest compelling psychodrama. Newcomer bracket, impeach the NCAA. Tim Guinee stars as Paul Turner, a ■ The 5th Annual Screen Actors scientist who’s battling “criminal Guild Awards, 8 tonight, TNT — abuses” of nature while fighting his Union actors honor their brothers own debilitating Gulf War disease. and sisters in the film industry. Another episode airs in the same Later in the week: the 14th Annual time slot Tuesday. TV Academy Hall of Fame Awards, 8 ■ Candy,10:30 p.m. Monday, VH1 p.m. Thursday, UPN (Channel 50 in — Who says there’s nothing new on Detroit). television any more? The “Music ■ The Scarlet Pimpernel, 9 First” cable channel unveils a quirky, tonight (repeated at 1 a.m. Monday lo-fi weekly newsmagazine devoted and 4 a.m. Tuesday), A&E — If your to the soft undercurrent of stories inPeter Strauss and Rachel Ward play frontier settlers in “Seasons of Love,” CBS, 9 p.m. knowledge of this legendary adven­ rock ’n’ roll; kind of like “Dateline” tonight and Tuesday. turer extends no further than Daffy with a backbeat. Features in the first Duck’s cracked characterization of half-hour installment include an Paul Reiser, of all people) could use a “The Scarlet Pumpernickel,” brace interview with Beck — as painter, fill-in father in the premiere of this yourself for a ripping good time. not singer — and a hidden camera fluffy family sitcom, playing a wid­ Richard E. Grant cuts a dashing fig­ piece to see just how far people will owed college basketball coach raising ure in the title role, a persnickety suck up to be personal assistant to foura daughters by himself. Nowthat’s British aristocrat who spends his rock star. what I call March Madness. free time saving equally uppity vic­■ Family Rules,8:30 p.m. Tuesday, ■ The NCAA Men’s Basketball tims of the French Revolution in UPN — Greg Evigan, who starred a Tournament,beginning at noon and swashbuckling fashion. Elizabeth lifetime ago in the NBC comedy “My 7:30 p.m. Thursday, CBS — This is McGovern (sigh!) co-stars as his wife. Two Dads” (with “Mad About You’s” what you call March Madness. ■ Seasons of Love,tonight 9 and9 p.m. Tuesday, CBS — In an industry where leading men can be deemed JIMMY MACK’S MAGNIFICENT MOVIE MENU washed up at 30, Peter Strauss has been running longer than a “Jericho “Blazing Saddles,”1 today, “Sayonara,”1:30 p.m.