Detroit strikers stop scab newspaper delivery

by Steve Noffke

This article was reprinted from the September, 9, 1995 issue of the People's Weekly World. For subscription information see below. All rights reserved - may be used with PWW credits.

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. -- In a massive display of militant solidarity, striking newspaper workers and their supporters prevented delivery of scab-produced newspapers in Detroit last Saturday night, thus preserving the city's name of "Uniontown, USA."

The demonstration and mass picketing came in response to the Metro Detroit AFL-CIO Council's call for mass action at the Sterling Heights printing plant where the strike-bound Detroit News and Detroit Free Press have set up a scab print shop.

Nearly 4,000 trade unionists and supporters gathered at UAW Local 228 headquarters on Sept. 2 where Auto Workers President Steve Yokich, John Sweeney, president of the Service Employees, Mine Workers President Richard Trumka and AFL-CIO President Tom Donahue discussed the strike and it's implications for the entire labor movement.

When word reached the rally that police had sprayed pepper gas on pickets the mood changed. Amid cries of "Go, Go!" speeches were cut short and participants headed for the picketline a mile away. By the time the throng of angry workers arrived, some 200 police were ready to clear the way for the trucks, loaded with scab papers, their engines idling as they waited for police to clear the way for a dash through the picket line.

But the reinforcements arrived and, by sheer force of numbers, blocked the gate and spilled into the street, effectively thwarting any effort to move out the trucks.

The scene was repeated when the company tried to move trucks out the back gate, "protected" by police wearing full riot gear. The picketers blocked this attempted end run as well. The police then took off their battle gear, opened cans of soda for themselves and decided to wait it out.

As Dave, a Chrysler autoworker told the World, "There are a number of people here who are ready to do civil disobedience, but there are a whole lot more who won't be so civil about it if the police get rough again."

Earlier in the week, Sterling Heights cops assaulted and viciously beat a union electrician who had joined the picket line. A picture of the incident appeared in the suburban press and was reproduced and printed on T-shirts worn by many of Saturday's demonstrators.

The pickets stayed on the line all night and the scab paper didn't make its way out of the plant until 8:30 Sunday morning, severely limiting the distribution of its Labor Day edition.

In an abrupt turn about from previous Saturdays, when police used clubs and batons to disperse pickets, Sterling Heights police chief Thomas Derocha said he was not prepared to escort the scab trucks through the picketline for fear of provoking violence. "My first responsibility is to guarantee the safety of the officers and people involved," he said.

Over a dozen different cities and sheriff's departments sent police to the picketline. It was also confirmed that the Detroit Newspaper Agency (DNA) which is the corporate head of the two newspapers, gave a check for $300,000 to Sterling Heights to help cover the costs of police overtime.

On Labor Day the theme of Detroit's annual Labor Day Parade was "Stand up for Michigan's Working Families," but it was the newspaper strike that was on everyone's mind as the striking newspaper workers were given the honor of leading the parade of over 150,000 union members. The parade ended with a rally in front of the downtown offices of the News and Free Press.

With their victory of two days earlier fresh in their minds union leaders called for workers to again come to Sterling Heights in mass on Saturday and prevent another Sunday edition from getting out. National AFL-CIO leaders also promised to begin applying pressure to several main advertisers to drop their business with the News and Free Press to take this struggle around the country.