July 13, 1995

On that date, 23 years ago today, six unions went on strike against the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press.
The strike officially lasted five years, when new contracts were ratified.
There were no winners
The Guild lost many members, who either crossed, went to different cities or left the business
Basically, Gannett, with help from Knight-Ridder, fucked with people's live because it could. The papers lost a third of their circulation and never recovered
I always felt we had to return to the buildings. I came back to The News in 1998, one week shy of three years on strike. I took the buyout in December and moved to Florida. I was able to do that thanks to my Guild pension, which I have along with a 401K, the way it should be. I also have my Guild health insurance to tide me over until Medicare starts. Thanks to the strikers on the anniversary.
Solidarity forever!!!

 

The buyout you referenced. This December?

 

Yes

 

Good for you.

 

What do you mean when you say the strike "officially" lasted five years? Was it over, for practical purposes, earlier?

When you went back in 1998, was that because your work group went back?

 

LOL. You got a problem with unions?

 

I’d like to hear the answers, dummy.

 

Where’d I say that?

 

I’d like to hear the answer, dummy.

 

The union made an unconditional offer to return to work in February, 1997. Later that year, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled it was an economic strike instead of being forced by Gannett (which it was). At that point, the News and Free Press started calling workers back as they had openings. I went to work for the Oakland Press for six months until I was recalled. I returned to sports because that's where the opening was, but I could have been assigned to any department.

 

I just read the Wiki article on it, which, while I'm sure it leaves out a lot, is pretty interesting.

Detroit newspaper strike of 1995–97 - Wikipedia

That they kept on the replacement workers, and only rehired the striking workers as jobs became available, must have made for a contentious working environment.

What was that like?

And, the replacement workers are never allowed into the union, right? Like Rick Reed, the MLB pitcher, who was a replacement player was never admitted to the Player's Union.