Newspaper employees

Action Coalition of Strikers Records

drice — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:09:15 -0500

The Action Coalition of Strikers (ACOS) was a rank-and-file group of strikers and their families who were active during the Detroit Newspaper Strike. Representing reporters, editors, pressmen, and truck drivers, the coalition opposed the newspaper union leadership and their proposed back-to-work offer and instead pressed forward with a campaign to fight to restore all lost jobs. They sponsored peaceful and disciplined mass demonstrations in support of the strikers, and published the weekly Detroit Sunday Journal from 1995-1999, selling copies throughout metro Detroit. They sought to win the broader labor movement’s participation in their struggle, and did enjoy continued support from other local and regional labor unions.

The records document the coalition’s activities from 1994-2001. Particular focus is given to the strikers' fight against replacement workers in an effort to bring economic, political and moral pressure on the newspaper companies (Gannett and Knight-Ridder) involved in the labor dispute. The records document ACOS strike participation through correspondence, court rulings, evidence of strikers' activities, publications, news clippings, and visual materials such as buttons, stickers, posters, and photographs.

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 Newspaper Strike Collection

dgolodner — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 11:11:17 -0500

The Detroit Newspaper Strike started on July 13, 1995 with six labor unions and around 2,500 workers striking against the Detroit's two primary newspapers, the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press. The strike ended on February 14, 1997 and was finally resolved in court three years later with the federal courts reversing the NLRB ruling that the newspapers had engaged in unfair labor practices. During the strike, there were local boycotts, legal charges of unfair labor practices and violence. The newspapers continued to print papers while the strikers created their own newspaper called the Detroit Sunday Journal. By the end of 1995 those on strike started to cross the picket line and return to work, the newspapers hired replacement workers and began to print their papers in Toledo, away from strikers
blocking the printing facilities. After the strike was called off by the unions, management for the papers said they would not fire the replacement workers and only hired back strikers a few at a time.
This collection contains materials from three different strikers who deposited their materials at the Reuther Library.

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.

Nancy E. Dunn Papers

drice — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:41:54 -0500

Nancy E. Dunn, a Detroit Free Press copy editor and journalist, was heavily involved during the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News newspaper strike in the 1990s. Dunn not only participated on the picket line, but also acted as a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Council of Newspaper Unions. The Nancy E. Dunn Papers document the strike/lockout from its inception in July 1995 through December 2000. Documents include administrative and audiovisual materials that reflect the strikers’ activities. These consist of court documents, correspondence, labor issues, status reports, newspaper clippings, and associated labor unions.

T. Denton Miller Papers

srafferty — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 11:42:23 -0500

T. Denton Miller, Jr. was an Attorney and reporter for the Baltimore Sun, who also served as Treasurer on the Executive Committee of the Baltimore Newspaper Guild. Included in this collection are correspondence regarding the American Newspaper Guild, as well as certificates of receipt for donations made by the Newspaper Guild of Baltimore to the American Newspaper Guild in 1935-1936.

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.

Guest Post: Ciera Casteel on the Wayne State University Oral History Course Oral Histories

aorchard — Fri, 19 Apr 2019 11:05:31 -0400

Please note: The oral history course collections mentioned in this post have been consolidated into one collection: Wayne State University Oral History Methodology Course Oral Histories. Please refer to the finding aid here: https://archives.wayne.edu/repositories/2/resources/3381.

Over the course of the last few months I had the opportunity to work at the Reuther Library processing oral history collections. This was an incredible experience through which I was able to create tools to increase researchers' access to four relatively new collections: the Wayne State University Oral History Course Oral Histories. These four collections are a treasure for researchers studying a number of topics. read more »

(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.

(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.

(29116) Edgar Guest, Detroit Free Press, 1955

eclemens — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 10:58:59 -0400

Detroit Free Press columnist Edgar A. Guest celebrates his 74th birthday with colleagues and friend at the Veteran’s Memorial Building.

(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.

(32615) Newspaper strike picket line

gstrassel — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 16:14:50 -0500

New Voice rally with Sweeney and Teamsters at the Detroit Free Press strike in the spring of 1995.

SEIU Local 79 members picketing the Detroit Free Press in downtown Detroit.

(32616) Newspaper strike picket line

gstrassel — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 16:21:19 -0500

John Sweeney picketing the Detroit Free Press in downtown Detroit with members of the Newspaper Guild of Detroit Local 22, SEIU Local 79, and Teamsters Local 372 in 1995.

(32617) New Voice rally

gstrassel — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 16:27:47 -0500