Apparently deciding there's no more need for a facade of fairness following their victory in a Republican-run federal appeals court, Gannett and Knight Ridder are putting the screws to members of the six local unions that five years ago struck Gannett's Detroit News and Knight Ridder's Detroit Free Press.

Gannett and Knight Ridder presented new bargaining demands to the unions after three Reagan-appointed appellate judges in July overturned the National Labor Relations Board's finding of multiple unfair labor practices against the companies.

The companies' major demands included an open shop and pay raises based on circulation increases. The companies are balking at the union issue of expedited arbitration for fired employees.

Pres. Jack Howe of Detroit 13N, which with Detroit-Toledo-Lansing 289M and four other local unions struck the companies in July 1995, said some negotiations were continuing with the companies at Graphic Communicator press time.

Showing the same defiance as the patriots of the American Revolution, locked-out Detroit newspaper workers in appropriate garb, march proudly along Detroit's Woodward Avenue.

Meanwhile, the unions' subscription and circulation boycotts continue. The unions made a strong appeal to the community with a tabloid-sized publication, The Detroit Union, that is being distributed in area newspapers. The paper features articles by Michigan Democratic Rep. John Conyers Jr., who has steadfastly refused to give interviews to scab reporters, State Rep. Dave Woodward, Detroit City Council Pres. Pro Tem Maryann Mahaffey, and locked out reporters Bob Ourlian and Susan Watson.

In a Sept. 1 response letter to John Jaske, Gannett senior vice president for labor relations, Howe took issue with Jaske's assertion that the unions "force workers to join a union against their will." Howe wrote to Jaske on behalf of the six local unions, including GCIU locals 13N and 289M, that are affiliated with the Metropolitan Council of Newspaper Unions in Detroit.

Jaske was referring to the agency shop provision in the unions' expired contract a provision that is in existing contracts with five other unions at the Detroit newspaper plants, including the Electrical Workers, Machinists and Mechanics, Operating Engineers, Plumbers, and Carpenters.

During an August demonstration, Detroit newspaper workers contradict management's claims that the strike is over. They still have strong public support.

"We have never proposed to 'force workers to join a union against their will,'" Howe told Jaske. "Under the law, no person could ever be forced to join a union, and you know it. That was never the thrust of our proposal."

In an agency shop, workers who don't join the union still pay for the costs related to negotiating and administering the union contract. In an open shop, "free riders," as the Supreme Court dubbed workers who don't join the union, pay nothing for the benefits of a union contract.

Unions regard the open shop as "extremely unfair," Howe said. "Those who voluntarily contribute to the cost of collective bargaining would be paying the freight securing the rights and benefits of others who contribute nothing."

As for the companies' pay raise scheme, Howe said their "promise is illusory." Under the companies proposal, the union workers would receive a 16 percent raise over three years, but most of this increase is contingent on circulation increases of 200,000 or more subscribers in the next year.

"An increase of 200,000 in one year as a condition of any payment is unrealistic and, in effect, ensures no one will be paid anything under your proposal," Howe said. "Even the newspapers' own managers have said that increases far less than 200,000 are not achievable."

Howe thanked locals at the GCIU convention for their support and said "some very good ideas came out of the Gannett caucus at the convention. We have to focus on coordinating between locals that have dealings with Gannett. It's more important now than ever."

In other news, the same three judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia that overturned the NLRB's ruling in July quickly rejected petitions by the NLRB and unions for the court to allow the NLRB to provide an analysis on one of the key issues of the unfair labor practices case – merit pay.

Despite the setback delivered by the federal appeals court ruling, GCIU locals 13N and 289M and their members in Detroit continue to need the support of every local union and member to help in winning the contract struggle against the giant newspaper chains Gannett and Knight Ridder.

Contributions are needed urgently to help locked-out members support their families. The locals also need donations to help pay legal defense bills, which continue to mount as Gannett, Knight Ridder, and their joint operating agency, Detroit Newspapers, prolong the dispute.

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.