Labor dispute at Detroit newspapers settled

DETROIT, Michigan (Reuters) -- A 5-1/2-year-long labor dispute involving Detroit's two largest daily newspapers was settled Sunday when unions representing nearly 1,400 workers endorsed a contract, a group representing the unions said.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed in a statement by the Metropolitan Council of Newspaper Unions.

The dispute involved workers at the Detroit Free Press, which is owned by Knight Ridder Inc., and The Detroit News, which is owned by Gannett Co. Inc.

The two papers combined most of their business and printing operations under a joint operating agreement through an entity known as Detroit Newspapers, although they maintain their independence on the editorial side.

Free Press Publisher Heath Meriwether was quoted in an article on the newspaper's electronic edition Monday as saying: "We've waited a long time for this most welcome day when the labor dispute would be over. I'm truly hopeful this will begin a healing process for the people of the Free Press and for the community we serve."

In its announcement of the settlement, the Metropolitan Council of Newspaper Unions said members of Teamsters Local 372 and 2040 voted to endorse a "last and final offer" that would "effectively end" the dispute.

The two Teamsters unions, representing nearly 1,400 Teamsters members from the circulation, transportation and mailer departments, joined more than 1,000 editorial and production workers represented by four unions in a work stoppage that began July 13, 1995, the Metropolitan Council said.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in August 1998 unanimously ruled that the work stoppage was a strike against unfair labor practices. But a ruling by a panel of three judges in Washington this past July overturned the NLRB's ruling, representing a victory for the management of the two newspapers.

That set into motion the current round of contract offers by newspaper management, the Metropolitan Council said.

Not everyone was happy with the settlement, according to the Free Press article. The contracts incorporated deep pay cuts and substantial changes in work rules, it said.

"These newspapers will soon try and begin to earn the trust of Metro Detroit, which is a cherished commodity earned by newspapers across the country," Al Derey, Metropolitan Council Chairman, said in a statement.

"Hopefully they will begin that process of building trust -- and heal the hurt bestowed on this community -- by expeditiously calling back workers on the recall list and doing the utmost to consider the re-employment of terminated strikers, many of whom have unfair labor practice charges rendered in their favor," Derey added.

Representatives of the six unions involved in the settlement are to meet Monday to consider calling off the advertising and circulation boycott, the Free Press reported.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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