Despite three high-profile and costly confrontations with newspaper management in the U.S. and Canada, delegates at the 44th annual North American Newspaper Conference in Dearborn, Mich., confidently planned to work together until eventual victory.

And, putting their money where their mouths are, the delegates – helped by matching funds from the International – raised a total of almost $94,000 for San Diego Local 432M, Detroit 13N, and Calgary 34M.

Jack Howe, president of host local Detroit 13N welcomed the delegates in his local's centennial anniversary, noting that the celebration was tempered by the continuing impasse with the Detroit News and Free Press.

Before handing the chairman's gavel over to NANC Pres. George Tedeschi, Howe called on the Rev. Edwin Rowe of Detroit's Central United Methodist Church to present a cleric's view of the situation.

In an impassioned benediction for the conference, Rev. Rowe said workers and their families "should be boycotting churches that don't stand up for the workers in their pews." He noted that churches of all denominations "have been on the forefront of every civil rights effort in the past and should stand up on this one and pressure Detroit newspaper management."

He urged the newspaper delegates to enlist their clergy across North America to get involved in worker issues and support the Detroit newspaper workers.

Howe then presented Detroit union attorney Duane Ice who brought the delegates up-to-date on the situation in Detroit as the fifth anniversary of the strike approached in July.

Ice reviewed the "legal game" that management of two major newspaper owners are playing against the 2,500 loyal workers they forced into an unfair labor practice strike in July 1995. Despite numerous decisions by the National Labor Relations Board favoring the unions, the Knight Ridder and Gannett newspaper chains decided to appeal and tie the dispute up in court.

Turning to politics, Ice pointed out that the permanent replacements that companies use to bust strikes were first used by the U.S. government under the presidency of Ronald W. Reagan to destroy the union in the air traffic controllers strike. And now Reagan's pro-business followers in the Republican Congress are trying to intimidate the NLRB with veiled threats of funding cuts to coax the agency to be more corporate friendly.

Politics is as important in the judicial realm, Ice continued, since judges are appointed by U.S. presidents for a lifetime tenure and more than half of the sitting jurists who decide on labor law were appointed by Reagan or his successor George H. W. Bush. This means anti-worker conservatives get to decide on interpretation of the laws that supposedly protect a worker and rights to unionize.

"The lesson is that politics affects law and your rights and your paycheck. I hope you get involved in political action. It is critical to your rights as a worker," the attorney noted.

Conference business

Howe turned the gavel and chair over to Newspaper Conference Pres. George Tedeschi, who presided over the election of conference officers. Those elected included: Secy.-Treas. Kevin Toomey of Boston 3N, Vice Pres. Patrick Shannon of Pittsburgh 9N, Paperhandlers Vice Pres. Ken Zawistowski of Buffalo 26H and Rec. Secy. Frank Rak of Boston 3N.

The delegates then elected newspaper conference regional representatives: Jack Howe (Midwest); Douglas Thomas of Montreal 41M (Canada); Bob Bryan of Cincinnati 20N, (Southern); Denis Mosgofian of San Francisco 4N (West); James Sherlock of Newark 8N (East); and Ted Connor of Phoenix 58M (Southwest).

Tedeschi acknowledged the International officers in attendance including: Secy.-Treas. Gerald H. Deneau, Vice Pres. Ed Toff of Philadelphia 14M, and General Board Members George Novak (Toronto 100M), George Osgood (St. Paul 1M), Andrew Douglas (Philadelphia 14M), and David Jacobs (Detroit 2C).

Tedeschi then told the delegates that one of his first official acts as president of the newspaper conference had to be to resign that office because of his election as GCIU president, effective June 4.

Conference Vice Pres. Patrick Shannon nominated Brian Fletcher of Toronto Local 100M to the top office. Fletcher was elected without opposition to succeed Tedeschi. The outgoing president was presented a commendation plaque from the delegates and congratulatory letters to Tedeschi were read into the record by Secy.-Treas Kevin Toomey.

President's report

After a number delegates went to the microphones to praise Tedeschi for his 21 years of service to the newspaper conference, he presented his official report.

He explained that he had agreed to run for the GCIU presidency at the behest of members of the General Board because they maintained he was the best candidate to bring all factions of the union together. When asked initially if he would run, Tedeschi noted that he declined but was coaxed into changing his mind after the disagreements between Pres. James J. Norton and the General Board continued.

The deciding factor was that those who urged him to run would pledge to work with him if he were elected, Tedeschi said. And he emphasized he would work closely with the General Board.

"I pledge to do all I can to move this organization forward," he declared. "I know there is a hard road ahead of us – and the newspaper conference has one of the hardest roads."

Tedeschi affirmed his "responsibility as International president to protect and improve job opportunities, wages, and the best working conditions I can get for all of our members."

He noted that he wants to lead the GCIU into the new millennium by working smarter as a union.

"Now I am GCIU president, I realize the tough decisions I will have to make and will do the best I can to do things a lot smarter. I believe you can pick and choose your fights so that when we fight, we will win," Tedeschi said.

He praised former Pres. Norton as "a gentleman who has kept me in the loop" about business at International headquarters. "He helped a lot in Calgary, and he deserves our thanks and credit for all he has done during his presidency," Tedeschi added.

He referred to the three major "fights" the GCIU is fighting – at Detroit and Calgary and San Diego. Tedeschi promised, with the help of the vice presidents and General Board members, "to get the three problems resolved soon."

Financial report

GCIU Secy.-Treas. Gerald H. Deneau reported the union is in good financial condition.

From a position of being $3 million in debt in 1992, "the GCIU ended last year $1.5 million in the black," Deneau reported. "And I know our new president, George Tedeschi, will push to keep us in the black," he added.

He noted the union's investments are strong. "Our union is one of the largest investors in ULLICO, a financial and investment group set up by labor unions, and they are managing our funds very well," he declared.

In addition, the day-to-day funds to operate the union have been moved from other institutions to the Amalgamated Bank of New York, a union bank, "where we are not concerned that our funds will be used to work against us as happens in some other banks," he said.

Deneau spoke about the increasing internationalism of management in the printing industry as globalization and mergers affect the industry. "We have built connections in Europe to try to help one another when dealing with difficult employers," he noted.

Another major accomplishment under his watch was updating and replacement of the antiquated – by computer technology standards – system for administration and record keeping at International headquarters. The original system was installed in 1976, Deneau explained.

"We hired the best people to reprogram, and they did a good job. GCIU locals will benefit from the new information access and exchange with Washington, saving us both time and money," he added.

"I feel really upbeat about our future – especially with Pres. Tedeschi taking over," Deneau declared.

Calgary, San Diego and Detroit

"We are hungry for a contract and fairness from our employer, Alison Mayes, a reporter for the Calgary Herald told the newspaper conference delegates.

A guest of Calgary 34M's John Webster, she described the frustrating process of dealing with Herald management and its owner, London businessman Conrad Black, that forced the workers to go on strike on Nov. 8. She talked about management provocations that included hiring untrained rookies to replace journeyman reporters on the picket lines.

Mayes offered the thanks of the editorial workers, members of Canada's CEP Local 115A, for the support of the GCIU.

Calgary 34M Pres. John Webster explained how the Hollinger Newspapers, controlled by Black, are trying to bust their unions. The Herald employees are faced with an additional problem since labor law in the Province of Alberta is deemed to be strongly pro-business and offers little recourse to workers. Evidence of this includes a local police force that tries to intimidate strikers with platoons of cops and having a police helicopter hover over peaceful picket lines.

The Calgary Herald dispute has since ended. [Details are in this issue.]

San Diego 432M Pres. John Finneran brought delegates up-to-date on the festering situation at the San Diego Union-Tribune, where pressmen have been trying to negotiate a contract since the last one expired in Oct. 1992.

Pension reports

During the three-day newspaper conference, delegates heard that two conference retirement plans were financially sound.

Mathew J. Wenner, administrator of the GCIU Employer Retirement Fund, advised the delegates that recent surveys determine that only 44 percent of American households are saving enough for a comfortable retirement.

"Most have an unrealistic expectation about how long their money will last," he said. And 401(k) retirement plans that have replaced many defined benefits plans are not a guarantee of retirement security, since people are living longer and 401(k) savings are depleted and run out. But the money in defined benefits plans such as the Employer Retirement Fund continue for a lifetime, Wenner noted. This highlights the advantages of defined benefit plans and participation of GCIU locals in the plan.

Since it was established in October 1955, the Employer Retirement Fund has grown to $1.3 billion in assets with 900 companies participating and 300 local unions. As of this year, the fund helps 19,000 retirees and beneficiaries, Wenner said.

The Inter-Local Pension Fund report was delivered by Philadelphia 14M Pres. Andrew Douglas, who serves as ILPF chairman. He recounted the history of the fund, founded by five locals in 1950, that has grown to a current worth of $1.7 billion.

"It think the only mistake (for local unions) is not coming in," Douglas said. "The contributions are all tax- deductible, and the retirement age is 60 or 55 with a 15 percent reduction," he said.

He urged local officers to contact him for details of joining the plan.

Committee reports

Among committee reports at the newspaper conference, the Organizing Committee called for education of the members to "create a culture of organizing within our union" and called for liaison with national and local community organizations "to create a positive image for our union."

A presidential farewell

As the newspaper conference ended, GCIU Pres.-elect Tedeschi took the podium to give his thanks to the delegates for the 21 years they elected him to lead their conference. He said he is proud of their trust. He promised to continue to do what is best for the GCIU in his new job as GCIU president, Tedeschi said, to a standing ovation.

Graphic Communicator photo by Dennis B. Doris Jr.

GCIU Pres. George Tedeschi, far left, swears in the officers of the North American Newspaper Conference during their meeting in Dearborn, Mich. From left to right: Bob Bryan of Cincinnati 20N, James Sherlock of Newark 8N, Kenneth Zawistowski of Buffalo 26H, Ted Connor Sr. of Phoenix 58M, Secy.-Treas. Kevin Toomey of Boston 3N, Doug Thomas of Montreal 41M, Tom Donnelly of Toronto 100M, Newspaper Conference Pres. Brian Fletcher of Toronto 100M, Jack Howe of Detroit 13N, Vice Pres. Patrick Shannon of Pittsburgh 9N, Denis Mosgofian of San Francisco 4N, Rec. Secy. Frank Rak of Boston 3N, Andrew Douglas of Philadelphia 14M, and Frank Mailander of New York 1SE.