Members of three of the six local unions that struck Gannett's Detroit News and Knight Ridder's Detroit Free Press in July 1995 have ratified agreements with the papers and their joint operating agency, Detroit Newspapers.

GCIU Local 13N Pres. Jack Howe said his members accepted the papers' "last and final offer" after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia pulled the plug on the National Labor Relations Board's unfair labor practices charges against the companies.

"My members are incredible," Howe said. "No one likes these contracts, and it was a terribly difficult decision to vote for them. I was astonished by their attitude that we're going back in there and start building again and make these jobs good again. They have a lot of enthusiasm."

Detroit 13N Pres. Jack Howe addresses GCIU convention delegates.

Howe said there is a "lot of clean up" to do related to contract provisions involving shifts and markups and trying to get members rehired who were terminated by the company during the five-year contract dispute. He said the local has a meeting scheduled with DN management to work on some of the details. "It may take months" to resolve the issues, he said.

The unions offered to drop their civil rights suits against the companies if the company in turn would drop the RICO lawsuit they brought against the unions. However, Gannett's John Jaske "flatly refused," Howe said. He said Jaske said the companies would continue to pursue the RICO suits. This "just goes to show you that the corporate side would continue this until they kill us," Howe said.

The other two locals that ratified agreements are the Detroit Typographical Union Local 18 and Detroit Newspaper Guild Local 22, both Communications Workers of America locals.

Meanwhile, photoengravers in GCIU Local 289M, which also had been one of the original striking locals, is still fighting for its contract.

Local 289M Pres. Lorraine McClure said her members ratified the contract two years ago, but DN did not sign the agreement and refuses to recognize it. "They just lied about it," she said.

McClure said the local realized the company's position only after raises promised in that contract were not provided on their due date this past March. The local filed an unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB over the issue.

McClure said that after the contract was ratified, the company launched a decertification effort against the local, but the NLRB threw out the decert as unlawful.

Teamsters Local 2040, which represents mailers at the papers, and Teamsters Local 372, which represents drivers that make up nearly half of all the union workers that were involved in the contract dispute, had not ratified agreements at Graphic Communicator press time.

Consequently, Al Derey, Detroit Metropolitan Council of Newspaper Unions chairman, said the advertising and readership boycotts of the Free Press and News will continue until all the locals have ratified and signed contracts.

"It is important that our friends and supporters continue boycotting" the Free Press and News "until these three unions can achieve new agreements," Derey said. "Hopefully, this can be achieved shortly so that this labor dispute can finally be concluded."

In a letter to supporters, Howe said Gannett and Knight Ridder "made a very bad business decision in 1995. Because of their decision, they have lost 35 percent of their circulation, hundreds of millions in revenues their stock holders could have enjoyed, the loyalty of their employees, and the respect of the community.

"Our members also have lost much, but they have maintained their pride, dignity and the respect of the community and maintain their desire to continue the fight to rebuild. For us, the fight is not over, and as union members, will never be over as long as there are employers like Gannett and Knight Ridder.

"To all of you who have supported us for the past 5-1/2 years, we could not have persevered without the help you have given. Your generosity, emotional support, and fortitude to stick with us will never be forgotten," Howe said.

Continuing legal bills and other debts related to the long struggle for contracts against the giant newspaper chains Gannett and Knight Ridder mean that GCIU locals 13N and 289M and their members in Detroit continue to need the support of every local union and member.

Local unions and individuals may send donations to the GCIU Local 13N/289M Special Assistance Fund, 3300 Book Building, Detroit, Mich. 48226. Individuals only – not local unions – may contribute to The Newspaper Unions Assistance Fund at the same address.