Photos by Susan Zachem

NANC Pres. Brian Fletcher, at microphone, opens the meeting. From left are NANC Rec. Secy. Frank Rak and Secy.-Treas. Kevin Toomey.

Delegates to the 46th North American Newspaper Conference focused on bargaining strategies for chain newspaper companies, organizing, and political action.

In the NANC tradition of solidarity, the 104 delegates from 47 locals in the United States and Canada donated and pledged more than $25,000 to help their brothers and sisters in San Diego 432M in their long struggle for a fair contract at the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Delegates also paid tribute to host local Philadelphia 16N as it celebrated its 100th anniversary with festivities that included performances by the mummers of the Irish-American String Band.

Welcoming delegates to the City of Brotherly Love, Local 16N Business Agent Joseph Inemer noted that the local was chartered on July 5, 1902. "We are celebrating our 100th anniversary of serving working members for the greater Philadelphia, Delaware and New Jersey Area. . . . We've tried very hard to give the delegates the flavor of Philadelphia. It's great city and I'm proud of it."

NANC and Toronto 100M Pres. Brian Fletcher congratulated Local 16N leaders and members for "their longevity and their steadfast presence. . . . We must honor the past, embrace the present, and enhance the future. We all owe a debt that must be paid."

Fletcher noted the sea of change in the world situation since the previous NANC meeting. "The horrific atrocities, the senseless attacks, the unspeakable acts against humanity in New York and Washington on Sept. 11 are too painful to rationalize or comprehend. Thousands of individuals and their families and all those precious lives that were brutally extinguished are a burden that we all must bear. . . .

"As trade unionists, we should be asking ourselves if we are truly doing our bit to diminish or to eradicate this perpetual self-fulfilling prophesy of hatred and turmoil against our fellow beings. We are all obliged, particularly as unionists, to survive, to carry on, and to help those less fortunate than we are enjoy the many gifts that we enjoy and sometimes take for granted."

Los Angeles 404M Pres. Leonard Cash, right, presents GCIU Pres. George Tedeschi with an organizing poster the local developed from a photo of Tedeschi taken at a rally supporting San Diego 432M.

Taking a break from left are: GCIU Secy.-Treas. Gerald H. Deneau; Boston 3N and NANC Secy.-Treas. Kevin Toomey; Washington Court House 774S Pres. Brenda Eggleton; and Local 3N Pres. Martin Callaghan.

From left, GCIU Vice Pres. Edward J. Toff, West Caldwell 612M Pres. and General Board member Edward A. Treacy, and Toronto 100M Secy.-Treas. George Novak catch up at NANC.

Taking a break during NANC from left are: Pres. Michel Côté and Secy.-Treas. Denis Fournier, Montreal 41M, and Richard J. Whitworth, executive assistant to the GCIU president.

Addressing the referendum that rolled back part of the per capita tax increase approved by the 2000 GCIU convention delegates that was earmarked to help smaller locals with organizing and training needs, Fletcher warned: "We should be very concerned with our declining membership. . . . We are reaching a point of no return. . . . Our leadership past and present has red-flagged this negative trend for a number of years, saying that organizing is the lifeline to strength, stability and, most importantly, to our individuality."

Canadian newspaper scene

On the national level, Fletcher said, the "good news" in the Canadian newspaper industry is that "Lord Conrad Black, the infamous crusader, has finally thrown the proverbial towel in by unloading his entire newspaper holdings, including his last venture, the National Post, to the highest bidder. It seems that he felt unappreciated by the corporate world and by his employees—not that it ever mattered before. Having divested himself of his ill-gotten acquisitions, he has found comfort and solace in 'merry ole England' where they truly appreciate aristocracy. We wish his lordship a long, miserable existence."

The "bad news," Fletcher said, is that "CanWest, another humongous monopoly player, has scooped up most of the newspapers that became available with the timely exodus of Lord Black, resulting in a sole owner controlling approximately 60 percent of the Canadian dailies."

In the Toronto area, Fletcher said, Local 100M has beaten back most concession demands in bargaining with the Globe and Mail, the Windsor Star, the Southam Star, and the Toronto Star. He warned that Canadian employers appear to be aiming at takebacks of health and welfare benefits.

Fletcher said that TorStar, the publisher of the Toronto Star, Hamilton Spectator and Kitchener Waterloo Record as well as electronic communication and other publishing operations, shut down the Record pressroom and moved the printing to Toronto. Hamilton 176M members surrendered their charter and joined Local 100M. He said "it was a good fit" as extra shifts were created when CanWest awarded printing of the National Post to TorStar.

With four daily newspapers duking it out in the Toronto area, Fletcher said, "it seems rather strange that one of the major participants in this war is printing the daily edition for one of the opponents. Business makes strange bedfellows."

'Union street'

In his address to NANC, GCIU Pres. George Tedeschi paid tribute to retired New York 2N and NANC officer Joseph Scimecca, whom he said "has done more for local unions whenever there was a problem than any other single person. Joey lives on Union Street—that's a fact—so that tells you where his heart is."

Tedeschi urged delegates to get involved in organizing and political action [see related article]. "Political action touches everything that we do," he said. "You've got to get involved to get people elected who will change the direction" to help working families.

GCIU Secy.-Treas. Gerald H. Deneau also urged political action and education [see related article]. He pointed out that labor's ambitious agenda of a century ago —free public education, an end to child labor, shorter workweeks, and better housing, wages and working conditions—eventually was achieved. "The labor movement has to have its own agenda and has to keep insisting on it, not waiting for the Democrats or Republicans," Deneau said.

Another plea for political action came from Atlanta 527S Pres. Ralph Meers, president of the North American Specialty Unions Conference. Meers noted that, although former Pres. Clinton had flaws, "they can not take away the fact that when he was president, he left us with one of the greatest economies that we've ever known. It was no small feat." The media and Republicans tried to convince the public that the credit belonged to the Federal Reserve chairman, Meers said. "But after Pres. Bush took over, we understood very well that it was Clinton who was calling the shots and moving things forward."

With the great need for solutions to the health care cost crisis and labor law reform, Meers said: "We all need to do everything we possibly can to dig deep and do what we can to support our friends in the political arena."

Organizing

GCIU Vice Pres. Duncan K. Brown and Organizing Coordinator Bert Haft updated delegates on developments in the organizing program.

Brown, who chairs the General Board Organizing/Subsidy Committee and directs International organizing efforts, said the "commitment for organizing from the General Board is unprecedented." He said the most recent planks of the International's new organizing program that received General Board approval include the hiring of organizing interns from the roster of local leaders and members who have attended GCIU Organizing Institutes and 50/50 subsidies for locals that develop organizing programs and specific targets.

But, Brown said, "this still is not enough." He noted that of the 516,500 workers employed by newspapers in the United States and Canada, only 85,000 are union. "This means there are 450,000 potential union members just in the newspaper industry alone," he said. "If you think you can continue to maintain living standards against these multinational corporate terrorists, you have another think coming," he said.

"We have to increase the amount of organizing activity in the locals," Brown said. "We ask you to make a commitment to organizing."

Haft said that about 80 percent of those attending the International's Organizing Institute have gone on to do field work, such as planning campaigns and doing housecalling. Haft said the new GCIU organizing manual has just been published and locals can contact the International for copies. Asked if the manual will be available in French, Haft said that it is in the process of being translated.

Pensions, health care and banking

The advantages of GCIU pension plans were presented by Beth Jacobs, administrator of the Inter-Local Pension Fund (ILPF) and Mathew J. Wenner, administrator of the GCIU Employer Retirement Fund (ERF) [see related article]. Both funds hold more than a billion dollars in assets, and both are defined benefit plans. The ILPF is funded solely through GCIU members' contributions. The ERF is jointly trusteed and funded through employer contributions.

Strategies to fight escalating health care costs were presented by Daniel Mullen, health benefits executive of the Union Labor Life Insurance Co. (ULLICO) and Christopher J. Blass of Independence Blue Cross. Mullen and Blass stressed that the rapid inflation in prescription drug costs will require that health and welfare fund trustees look into programs that can help reduce some of the costs.

Hugh A. Scott and Nicholas Carpinelli, first vice presidents of the Amalgamated Bank in New York, detailed the full range of services offered by the nation's only union-owned bank. Founded 78 years ago by the Textile Workers, the bank "has been a friend of labor from the start," Carpinelli said.

Regional reports

In reports from NANC regional representatives, Canadian Rep. and Montreal 41M Vice Pres. Doug Thomas said Montreal 41M has had some serious problems with an employer's outsourcing of newspaper apprentices. "We are continuing the fight against employers for fair wages and rights and privileges for our members, including health and safety. But most of all, the Canadians have worked together and kept united and in constant contact and stayed strong."

NANC Southern Rep. and Midwest Newspaper 128N Pres. Robert J. Bryan reported the merger of newspaper locals in Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, and Indianapolis to form 128N as a 500-member local union.

With assistance from Tedeschi and by agreement with the Teamsters, which had jurisdiction but no contract for the unit of mailers at the Dayton Daily News, Bryan said, the local got management to agree to the transfer to GCIU jurisdiction and had 97 percent of the cards signed in favor of GCIU representation. The local currently is trying to negotiate with the Daily News but had to file unfair labor practice charges after the newspaper fired key union activists.

NANC Eastern Rep. and Nassau County 406C Secy.-Treas. John Laspina said the Eastern States and Eastern conferences are exploring the possibility of merger. He said the discussion, first explored in an October 2001 meeting, was continued at the joint meeting of the two conferences in April. He said the caucus of GCIU locals with contracts with the Tribune Co. "was a very good informational meeting," with updates from Chicago, Long Island, and Baltimore.

Local 406C settled a four-year contract with the Tribune's Newsday in March, Laspina said. The pact covered all five craft areas at Newsday—maintenance, press, plate, electronic prepress, and transportation. He said the settlement provided wage increases; bonus dollars; a new 26-week disability plan; and a survivor spousal package that provides five years of medical plan coverage at the member's premium rate, "which is a very big thing in our area." The pact, which also included discount financial and legal assistance programs, was overwhelmingly ratified, he said. Laspina said Local 406C Pres. Dennis Grabhorn and other local officers already have begun to prepare for the next round of negotiations in 2006.

NANC Midwest Rep. and Detroit 13N Pres. Jack Howe reported that Detroit Newspapers, the joint operating agency of Gannett's News and Knight Ridder's Free Press, asked members of the Detroit Metropolitan Newspaper Council to help the newspapers regain the circulation that they lost during the five-year strike and lockout (see related article on Gannett). The council unions, which include GCIU locals 13N and 289M and Teamster and Communications Workers locals, agreed, but with the stipulation that the resubscription forms be returned to them first for recording and tracking purposes.

"The purpose of the program is to be able to increase circulation for the newspapers while controlling that circulation through the unions. So, when we get into bargaining in the future, we'll have some leverage at the bargaining table," Howe said.

In other areas, Howe said: "The Vindicator," a publication oriented to Gannett employees produced by GCIU Vice Pres. David A. Grabhorn, has been "very well accepted among union and non-union workers at Gannett newspapers in the Midwest." He also reported that the Observer-Century, a bi-weekly suburban paper, called in the anti-union law firm King and Ballow to negotiate the contract. "Not a positive note," Howe said.

NANC Southwest Rep. and Phoenix 58M Pres. David Laurenzi reported that his local battled for 18 months through 35 meetings to get a compromise contract with Gannett's Arizona Republic. With the assistance of Grabhorn and GCIU Rep. John T. (Sonny) Shannon Jr., he said, they got wage increases in the second and third years and preserved most manning.

NANC Western Rep. and San Francisco 4N Pres. Mark Arata said McClatchy on the West Coast is shaping up as a very anti-union company. Local 4N in Modesto and Seattle 767M had to call in mediators in their negotiations with McClatchy. Los Angeles 404M also is struggling for a first-time contract at McClatchy's Fresno Bee, he said.

Arata said Denver 22N reported losing 30 percent of their prepress members since the Denver newspaper went to a joint operating agreement.

For Local 4N, Arata said, all of the local's pending arbitrations are with the Chronicle, which has undergone management reshuffling since Hearst purchased the paper. The local's contract at the Wall Street Journal plant expires in 2003, and Arata said the major issues there, as at other Dow Jones companies, are manning and safety on color towers.

Local reports

San Diego 432M Pres. Jack Finneran and Secy.-Treas. Jeffrey O. Alger reported on their fight to get a contract with the Union-Tribune, which is owned by the La Jolla, Calif.-based Copley Press. Finneran said the 150 pressmen, apprentices, and paperhandlers have had no wage increases for a decade. Nor has the company increased its contributions toward health insurance, so the GCIU members have had to absorb the escalating costs. He said those costs are projected to rise to $300 a month soon. "This is nothing short of economic terrorism," he said.

The union's campaign to win wage and benefit increases includes demonstrations, rallies, advertiser and subscription boycotts, and other public events, such as union banners at Padres games. Alger, who was again suspended by the company for his union activities, helped produce a video explaining their members' situation that includes a local Fox television station's interviews with him and Finneran and a rally in front of Tribune headquarters.

"This company made $567 million last year in profits, yet it hires new workers at one-half of the previous pay. . . . Its 'final offer' is no more than a grave marker for workers," Alger said.

Local 404M Secy.-Treas. Paul Garcia said the difficult thing to understand is that Copley signed a contract with his local at The Daily Breeze in Torrance, Calif., that provided increases in health benefits and across-the-board wage increases, which Alger said Union-Tribune management told Local 432M they had abandoned in favor of merit increases. "So they will sign a contract just up the freeway, but they won't do it for these gentlemen," Garcia said.

Local 404M Organizing Director Marty Keegan and San Francisco 4N Vice Pres. Ed Rosario said the union-busting at the Union-Tribune, which hired King and Ballow to negotiate with the local, has permeated negotiations up the West Coast.

Rosario said San Francisco Examiner publisher Florence Fang hired King and Ballow to negotiate with Local 4N on a first contract for a prepress unit that the local recently organized. "There's definitely a cord that runs from San Diego," Rosario said. "King and Ballow has reared its ugly head in San Francisco. We're going to stay together and beat them."

NANC Rec. Secy. Frank Rak of Boston 3N read into the record the San Francisco Board of Supervisor's resolution urging the Examiner to "bargain in good faith to reach a fair and equitable bargaining agreement."

At another Gannett paper, the Louisville Courier-Journal, Mike Heine of Louisville 619M reported, members have been working without a contract while the "self-professed union-busting company vice president wears diamond rings for cutting jobs." Heine said the newspaper received $80 million in city funds to build a new plant. He said area labor got a stipulation on the money that the Courier-Journal can't use the money for union-busting activities.

Committee reports

Chicago 7N Pres. John Giannone, secretary of the Newspaper Committee, said committee members "reported that there is an increase in arrogance on the part of management." The committee recommended more coordination between locals dealing with large chains; increased participation in multi-union coalitions, such as joint bargaining councils; and increased education and communication between negotiating committees and members during contract talks.

Newark 8N Vice Pres. Larry Manziano, chairman of the Organizing Committee, recommended that the International and locals develop programs to increase the name recognition of the GCIU. Ideas include the hiring of public relations professionals to publicize the GCIU and GCIU members' products and advertising the union and union products on billboards, television, radio, and newspapers and magazines. Another suggestion was joint labor-management subscription campaigns, such as the one in Detroit.

St. Paul 1M Pres. and General Board member George Osgood, chairman of the Apprenticeship Committee, said committee recommendations included: implementation of a policy on contractual language that spells out apprenticeship standards; development of a "library" of local apprentice training programs through locals sending copies of their programs to GCIU Vice Pres. Edward J. Toff, who directs International education activities; development by the International of apprenticeship training courses; and appeals by local unions to the General Board to develop these training courses.

Jack Finneran, chairman of the Safety and Substance Abuse Committee, said committee members reported an alarming increase in musculoskeletal injuries, especially rotator cuff injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome. The committee recommended: that members report all job-related injuries to the local and locals record and track these injuries so they can be related to the installation of new equipment and manning levels. "Our employers don't want to see their workers compensation go up," he said. "We have to convince them that it costs more in the long run to not deal with injuries."

Resolutions Committee Chairman Marty Stednitz of Omaha 543M and Secy. Garry D. Foreman of Indianapolis 17M read four resolutions approved by the committee that were adopted by NANC delegates. The resolutions urged that: the International shift organizing resources to assist in settling first time contracts; the International, local unions and members lobby Congress and the White House to restrict the use of Social Security funds to Social Security benefits; the GCIU mobilizes members in alliance with environmental, religious and community groups, to oppose the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas – an expanded version of the North American Free Trade Agreement between Canada, the United States, and Mexico – and stop the "fast track" restriction on Congress' right to amend trade agreements negotiated by the Bush administration. Delegates also resolved to send NANC delegates to a General Board meeting to urge the development of a newspaper apprenticeship training course.

Spurring a standing ovation for the host local, Winnipeg 900M Pres. John D. Webster, chairman of the Thanks Committee, praised the "job done by our hosts, Local 16N, especially the team of [Joe] Inemer and [Local 16N Pres. Charles] Carvin. Local 16N has given us one of the best run conferences that we've all had the pleasure of attending." The joint newspaper, commercial, and specialty conference will be hosted by Boston 3N next year.

Safety and health workshop

Atlanta 8M Pres. Dale W. Harrell led a workshop on the safety and health training program developed through a grant from the U.S. Labor Dept. Assisted by Denver 440M Pres. Paul F. Greene, Local 128N Vice Pres. Joe Kunkemoeller, and Local 4N Secy.-Treas. Anthony Sangervasi, Harrell led delegates in exercises on safety systems. Harrell said local leaders can contact the International to arrange for trainers to run the course for their local members.

NANC leaders, standing from left are: Newspaper Vice Pres. Patrick Shannon; Pres. Brian Fletcher; Western Rep. Ed Rosario; Rec. Secy. Frank Rak; Midwestern Rep. Jack Howe; Canadian Rep. Doug Thomas; Paperhandlers Vice Pres. Ken Zawistowski; SEPAW Vice Pres. Frank Mailander; and Secy.-Treas. Kevin Toomey. Kneeling from left are: Roto Vice Pres. Charles Carvin; Sergeant-at-Arms Tom Donnelly; Philadelphia 16N Business Agent Joe Inemer; and Eastern Rep. John Laspina.