Newspaper publishing

Ellen Creager Papers

drice — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:40:38 -0500

Ellen Creager (b. 1956), a Detroit Free Press reporter, first joined the press as a copy editor in 1983 after earning her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Michigan State University; ultimately she was promoted to the position of general assignment reporter in the Features Department. The Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News employees engaged in a strike against Gannett and Knight-Ridder newspaper chains beginning in July of 1995. Creager was working part-time when the strike began because she had four young children at home. Full-time reporters were called back to work after the strike effectively ended in February of 1997 with the unions' unconditional offer to return, but Creager's part-time position had been eliminated. In early 1998, Creager applied to return as a full-time reporter when a position opened in the Features Department; she returned to work nearly three years after the strike began. As of 2012, Creager continues as a reporter for the Features Department at the Detroit Free Press.

The Ellen Creager Papers document the strike from its beginning on July 13, 1995 until December, 1996, before the unions voted to return to work. Materials include news clippings, strike handbills and flyers, publication copies of The Detroit Sunday Journal and The Alliance, interview notes, correspondence, and hand-made picket signs.

Detroit Typographical Union No. 18 Records

drice — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:53:55 -0500

Detroit Typographical Union (DTU) No. 18 was established in 1852 in conjunction with the establishment of the National Typographical Union (later known as the International Typographical Union or ITU). Throughout its history the union has represented three major dailies: The Detroit News, The Detroit Free Press and The Detroit Times as well as suburban newspaper publications and non-newsprint publishers of the Detroit metropolitan area.

The DTU records document its administration and activities from the turn of the 19th century, including strikes, grievances, and attempted mergers. The Detroit Mailers Union is also documented.

The portion of the records processed as of January 2024 includes DTU and other union contract booklets; ITU Books of Laws; various publications such as The ITU Review, the Typographical Journal, and the No. 18 Reporter; some materials from the Communications Workers of America (CWA); souvenir books from ITU conventions, 1940s-1980s; a small number of photographs and artifacts; a bound volume of the Detroit Reporter strike newspaper from 1955-1956; a scrapbook of clippings from suburban Detroit newspapers from 1966.

Nettie Kravitz Papers

pneirink — Mon, 09 May 2022 14:31:15 -0400

Nettie Kravitz was a labor organizer, feminist scholar, and long-term member of the Johnson-Forest Tendency and its later forms, Correspondence Publishing Committee and Facing Reality Publishing Committee. The collection contains correspondence and both published and unpublished political writings that thoroughly document the ideological disagreements resulting in each organization. The collection also contains materials related to Kravitz’s scholarship in Women’s Studies and Literature and her political priorities.

Newspaper Guild Local 22: Detroit Records

drice — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:55:21 -0500

The Newspaper Guild, a national organization, initially began with the intent to be a professional organization more than a union. As such, the 1933 founders chose to call the group a “guild.” The Newspaper Guild Local 22 was an early local, established in 1934. Organizers were successful in establishing this local in Detroit by using sit-down strikes across the entire state. The Detroit Times and the Detroit Free Press were first to win bargaining recognition: The Times was first certified 1938 and the Free Press in 1939. Some members from the Detroit News enlisted but the News largely avoided organization by matching fringe and pay gains as the Times and Free Press won them through negotiations. When the Guild affiliated with the CIO in 1937, many members dropped out of the guild because they did not want to be part of a union. In the next thirty years the local saw its membership fluctuate. UAW and Michigan Catholic publishing employees swelled the ranks in the 1940s, but later the guild lost 400 members when the News bought the Times in 1959. Employees from the Pontiac Press, Royal Oak Daily Tribune, and Macomb Daily joined the guild in the 1960s and 1970s, but simultaneously Oakland Press and Mellus members left after lengthy strikes in the 1970s. The local also dealt with upheaval in the newspaper business during a downturn in the late 1980s. Most significantly, the News and Free Press filed a joint operations agreement, sharing space and equipment to ease some of the financial burden.

Part 1 of the Detroit Newspaper Guild papers reflect the local's activities and organization, as well as include documentation of the American Newspaper Guild.

Part 2 consist of materials related to the organization and activities of the local in Detroit. The bulk of the collection consists of papers from the daily operation of the guild, including board and general meetings, contracts, elections, bargaining and negotiations, Page One events, and locally held national conventions. Other widely covered topics include strikes and lockouts and the Joint Operations Agreement. Strike and lockout materials begin with the strike and lockout in 1962 and ending with the 1995 Detroit Newspapers strike. Joint Operations materials cover all facets of the agreement between the Detroit News and
Free Press from the late 1980s.

Wayne State University: The South End Newspapers Photographs

drice — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 12:05:36 -0500

"The Collegian," the student-run newspaper of Detroit Junior College at Central High, published its first edition on March 6, 1918. At first a semi-monthly paper that printed mostly literary works, by 1922 the paper had become a weekly publication and its focus shifted to news. The paper changed its name in 1924 to "The Detroit Collegian," which reflected the school’s name change to the College of the City of Detroit. The paper underwent three further name changes: in 1953, the name changed to "The Wayne Collegian"; in 1957, the name changed to "The Daily Collegian"; and finally, in 1967, the name changed to "The South End." The paper also published summer editions: "The Summer Collegian" (1943-1967) and "Summer South End" (1968-present). The Wayne State University: The South End Newspapers Photographs consist of two series that reflect different periods in the paper's life - "The Daily Collegian" (1950-1960) and "The South End" (1970-1990).

(28065) Strikes, Detroit Newspaper Strike, 1996

eclemens — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:20:10 -0500

Union officials and striking workers block the entrance to the Detroit News Building during the Newspaper Strike. Shortly after this photo was taken the demonstrators were arrested and striking employees were fired.

Shown: John Sweeney, Richard Trumka, Bishop Gambleton, Reverend Rowe, Susan Watson, Dia Pierce, Sean Ellis, Emily Evrett.

(28066) Strikes, Detroit Newspaper Strike, 1996

eclemens — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:21:55 -0500

Members of RADD (Radical Action Disciple Deployment Team) handcuff themselves to the front doors of the Detroit Free Press in support of the Detroit Newspaper Strike.

(28067) Strikes, Newspaper Strike, Detroit, 1997

eclemens — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:23:33 -0500

Gloria Corbin holds a picket in support of the Detroit Newspaper Strike.

(28068) Strikes, Newspaper Strike, Detroit, 1995

eclemens — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:26:42 -0500

Dick Gregory lights candles at Central Methodist Church in support of the Detroit Newspaper Strike. Over 2000 candles were lit, one for every Newspaper Guild member on strike.

(28542) John Knight, Detroit Free Press, 1981

eclemens — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 11:57:29 -0400

John S. Knight, publisher and owner of the Detroit Free Press, celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Free Press, May 5, 1981. The Free Press building was declared a Historic Site on the same day.

(28543) John Knight, Detroit Free Press, 1960s

eclemens — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 11:59:15 -0400

Portrait of John S. Knight, publisher and owner of the Detroit Free Press.

(28615) Neal Shine, Detroit Free Press, 1980s

eclemens — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 08:37:54 -0400

Portrait of Neal Shine, managing editor of the Detroit Free Press.

(28620) Tony Spina, Detroit Free Press Photographer, 1960s

eclemens — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 10:56:45 -0400

Tony Spina, Chief Photographer for the Detroit Free Press, climbs down a caisson to take a picture.

(28621) Tony Spina, Detroit Free Press, 1980s

eclemens — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 11:04:14 -0400

Portrait of Tony Spina, taken in Italy by his daughter, Julia.

(28666) Detroit Free Press Riverfront Plant, Mayor Young, 1979

eclemens — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 09:26:51 -0400

Mayor Coleman A. Young shakes hands with other dignitaries during the dedication of the Detroit Free Press Riverfront plant.

Left to right: Gov. Milliken; Lee Hills, Publisher Detroit Free Press; Alva Chapman, CEO Knight Newspapers; John S. Knights, owner and Publisher Knight Newspapers; Mayor Young; Bernard Ridder, Knight-Ridder Newspapers.

(29120) Newspaper Industry, Ritter, Lee, Knight-Ridder Merger, 1974

eclemens — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 11:36:58 -0400

Bernard Ritter (left) and Lee Hills (right) shake hands upon the completion of the merger of Knight Newspapers and Ridder Newspapers.

(32047) Demonstrations, Strikes, Detroit Newspaper Strike, 1996

mwallace — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 12:00:38 -0400

General Baker is escorted away as he demonstrates as a member of "Reader's United," a group formed to support the Detroit Newspaper Strike.