They hung 10, to borrow from a saying from the Hawaiian islands.
And Honolulu 501M representatives are in the process of negotiating a first contract with the
Star-Bulletin Midweek, located in Kaneohe on the island of Oahu, after winning a National Labor
Relations Board election for production workers by a 55 to 12 vote.
The victory came only after a seven-day NLRB hearing battle with publisher David Black, who
owns 30 newspapers in western Canada and Washington state. Black tried to block the election
vote.
Working on the organizing campaign were GCIU Organizer William Beresh, Organizing Intern
Jessica Martinez, and former Local 501M Pres. Thomas K. Sing. They were assisted in
housecalling by employees of The Advertiser and Star-Bulletin.
The drive was drawn out over a year. The Advertiser, a Honolulu morning newspaper owned by
the Gannett chain, tried to buy out the Star-Bulletin, an afternoon newspaper. The Hawaii
attorney general filed a lawsuit in federal court. The court ruled against the monopolistic purchase
and that The Advertiser, which had 12 years to go in a joint operating agreement, be sold. Black
won the bid.
Sing, who volunteered his time, said he was involved in the campaign because "I want to be active
and help out."
Activists involved in helping organize Midweek Star-Bulletin production workers take a
break. From left are: Thomas K. Sing, former Honolulu 501M president; GCIU Organizer
William Beresh; GCIU Organizing Intern Jessica Martinez; and pressman Jay Izenhower, who
served as an election observer.
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