The Detroit Newspaper Strike was a major labor dispute that began in Detroit, Michigan, on July 13, 1995, and involved approximately 2,500 members of six labor unions striking against the city's two primary newspapers, the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News. The strike officially ended on February 14, 1997, and was ultimately resolved in court three years later, with the unions' unfair labor practices case being reversed on appeal.
Background
Tensions between the unions and newspaper management had been escalating for several years. Management sought to replace employee distribution with independent contractors, which the unions alleged constituted unfair labor practices. A 1989 Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) combined the non-editorial operations of the two newspapers, resulting in a 29% reduction in the workforce. Some sources contend that management had been preparing for a confrontation with the unions as early as 1989.
The Strike
On July 13, 1995, approximately 2,500 workers from six unions—including The Newspaper Guild, the Teamsters, pressmen, and printers—went on strike after management declined to discuss recent labor practice changes implemented by Detroit News publisher Robert Giles. The newspapers lost an estimated US$100 million in the first six months of the strike.
Both newspapers continued publishing during the strike using replacement workers and staff who crossed the picket line. By October 1995, about 40% of editorial staffers had returned to work. The newspapers spent approximately US$40 million on private security and provided US$1 million to the Sterling Heights, Michigan, police department, where a production plant was located.
Striking workers published a competing weekly newspaper, the Detroit Sunday Journal, and traveled across the United States to pressure advertisers and corporate boards. In the winter of 1996, 27 strikers were arrested for blocking a Gannett Company printing facility in Port Huron, Michigan. In September 1996, columnist Susan Watson was terminated from the Detroit Free Press for participating in a sit-down strike at the newspaper's building.
The unions ended their strike on February 14, 1997. The strike was financially costly for the unions; the Teamsters alone paid approximately US$30 million in legal fees and strike benefits.
Resolution and Aftermath
Following the strike, management stated that replacement workers would not be fired and that strikers would only be rehired as positions became available. By April 1997, only 200 of the approximately 2,000 striking workers had been reinstated.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled in 1997 that the newspapers had engaged in unfair labor practices. However, federal courts reversed this ruling in 2000 after the newspapers appealed.
The unions remained active at the papers, representing a majority of employees under their jurisdiction. Ten years after the strike, the newspapers had still not recovered the circulation lost during the dispute.
