BY JOHN SARGE
DETROIT - "We're traveling around urging everyone to come to Detroit on June 20 and 21 and join thousands of trade unionists from around the country to protest union busting and corporate greed," is how Carol O'Neal, a member of Graphic Communication International Union (GCIU) Local 13, described what she and dozens of other locked-out Detroit newspaper workers have been doing around the country, from union conventions to strike picket lines.

The AFL-CIO Executive Board, after months of urging by strikers and at the formal request of the six newspaper union locals, have called "Action Motown," a protest set for Detroit on the weekend of June 20-21. The call came days after the striking local unions offered to return to work. Members of the Detroit newspaper unions, working or locked- out, are urging unionists and others to take part in the actions in support of their fight to return to work, rebuild their unions, and win a contract.

On July 13, 1995, some 2,500 editorial, production and distribution workers struck the Detroit News and Free Press and their joint business agent, the Detroit Newspaper Agency (DNA). Some 2,000 workers remained on strike for 20 months. They hit the picket lines to protect jobs, wages, working conditions, and their unions' right to negotiate jointly.

The strike was preceded by five years of attacks by the newspaper bosses, including massive job cuts, a wage freeze, and work rule changes. The six largest unions - the mailers and drivers, members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters; printers, members of the Communication Workers of America (CWA); pressmen in the GCIU; and the Newspaper Guild, made up of editorial workers - walked out, representing the vast majority of workers.

Earlier this year, the international presidents of the Teamsters, CWA, and GCIU decided to offer an unconditional return to work. Local officers of the striking unions made the offer public February 14. The companies quickly announced that the unions' statement meant the strike was over and that they would bring strikers back to work as needed. Almost four months later less than 200 have returned to work. No members of the mailers Teamster local have been recalled. The unions declared the strike converted into a lockout, and have gone to court to try to win an injunction ordering the companies to take back all unionists not fired for strike related activities.

The upcoming protests in Detroit will include a teach-in organized by the AFL-CIO, a strikers benefit, and a religious service June 20. The next morning actions are planned around the region, with participants converging in downtown Detroit for a march and rally.

Organizers report that unionists are planning to come from cities ranging from San Francisco to New York. For more information the striking unions can be contacted toll free at (888) 97MOTOWN or www.action97.w1.com.

John Sarge is a member of the United Auto Workers and is the Socialist Workers Party candidate for city council in Detroit.  
 
 
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