Another joint demonstration in support of obtaining a decent contract for GCIU Dayton Daily News mailroom workers will be held beginning at noon Nov. 13 in Atlanta and Dayton, Ohio.

The rally is coordinated by Midwest Newspaper 128N Pres. Robert J. Bryan with Atlanta 527S Pres. Ralph Meers. Local 128N represents Dayton Daily News mailers.

In Atlanta, the rally will be held downtown at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution at 72 Marietta Ave., N.W., next door to CNN News. In Dayton, the rally will be held at Dayton Daily News headquarters at 45 South Ludlow St. Both newspapers are owned by the Cox Corp.

Hundreds of GCIU and other labor union activists rallied at the same time July 28 in Dayton and at Atlanta Cox Corp. facilities. Bryan said no headway has been made with Cox Corp. negotiators since the July 28 joint rally.

"We are not going to go away. Our Dayton Daily News mailroom workers need our continued support for a decent contract," Bryan observed.

Bryan said he hopes that GCIU and other supporters will join the demonstrations in behalf of Dayton Daily News mailroom workers, who are subjected to such conditions as 14-hour shifts at no overtime pay; health care coverage cutbacks and other takeaways; and a proposed 20 percent reduction in pay.

Meanwhile, Bryan took seven Local 128N leaders with him to the retirement dinner for J. Bradford Tillson Jr., Cox Ohio Publishing chief executive officer and Dayton Daily News publisher. Local 128N members–including a human-sized mouse sympathetic to downtrodden Dayton Daily News mailroom workers–carried banners, signs, and handbills to greet Tillson and others at the Dayton Convention Center, where the retirement dinner was held.

Regarding the dinner, Bryan said that he "had a delightful day celebrating the retirement of Brad Tillson," with whom he chatted. Bryan also talked with Tillson's successor Douglas Franklin and Dayton Daily News Human Resources Manager Emily Chambers.

Bryan noted that "Mr. Franklin mentioned that in his administration, there won't be a major change in the company's day-to-day operations. I was very hopeful to hear that since Cincinnati 508M has a contract with the etching department at the Dayton Daily News and Local 128N has a contract in the Dayton Daily News press room. I'm very hopeful that means fairly soon our mailroom employees can anticipate a decent contract."

Bryan said he wanted to acknowledge all of the Local 128N members who helped circulate handbills and conducted informational picketing outside the convention center–with a "special thanks to our mouse, who everybody liked."

Charges filed by Local 128N and pending with the National Labor Relations Board include failure to schedule meetings in a timely fashion; failure to respond to union requests; and imposing conditions without bargaining. Conditions imposed by the company without bargaining include raising employees' share of health insurance costs; eliminating paid lunch and break periods; decreasing paid lunch period time; and changing the shift schedule.

Regarding the rally mouse mascot, Bryan said he "is sympathetic to the needs of the mailroom employees at the Dayton Daily News. They deserve more than the crumbs off the floor. We are determined to get a decent contract for Dayton Daily News mailroom workers. We can't get too much support in this struggle," Bryan said.

If there are questions, Bryan can be phoned at: 513/290-4249, cell; or 513/251-9203, fax.

Billboard reminds motorists about Cox Corp. and the plight of Midwest Newspaper 128N Dayton Daily News mailers.