ADOPTED - FEBRUARY 9, 1999

Agenda Item No. 4

Introduced by the Administrative Services/Personnel Committee of the:

INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF LOCKED-OUT NEWSPAPER WORKERS IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN TO COMPEL DETROIT NEWSPAPERS AGENCY, DBA THE DETROIT NEWS AND THE DETROIT FREE PRESS, TO COMPLY WITH THE ORDER OF THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD

RESOLUTION #99-23

WHEREAS, The Detroit News and The Detroit Free Press, formerly independent newspapers, published in the City of Detroit, Michigan, were acquired by the Gannett Publishing chain and Knight-Ridder, respectively; and

WHEREAS, these newspapers were published independently and competitively for many years, they successfully petitioned the US Attorney General's office to combine all but their editorial functions under the aegis of a Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) as permitted under the National Newspaper Preservation Act; and

WHEREAS, under the JOA, the Detroit Newspapers Agency (DNA) was formed, which replaced the management of the individual newspapers and which declared contract agreements with six employee unions to be null and void; and

WHEREAS, DNA announced to all employees that new work rules and compensation provisions would henceforth apply, with no union negotiations taking place, which caused those unions to declare a strike against DNA on July 13, 1995; and

WHEREAS, all efforts by state and federal labor mediators, Mayor Dennis Archer, Congressmen David Bonior, and John Conyers, and other interested parties to bring about meaningful negotiations to end the strike, failed because management consistently refused to participate and, instead, announced on August 7, 1995, that all employees must return to work under the new work rules and provisions or face permanent replacement by new hires; and

WHEREAS, on August 31, 1995, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed a complaint in federal court against DNA for bad faith bargaining and from April 15 to October 2, 1996, a trial was held before Administrative Law Judge Wilks, who ruled on June 19, 1997 that the companies were guilty of ten unfair labor practices; and

WHEREAS, on February 14, 1997, all of the unions made an unconditional offer to return to work, prompting both newspapers to proclaim the strike to be over, while accepting only a handful of employees back, mostly at reduced responsibilities and reduced pay, thus changing the strike to a lockout; and

WHEREAS, on August 27, 1998, the NLRB in a unanimous decision, upheld the findings of Judge Wilks and of Judge Kocol who had ruled that the newspapers committed another unfair labor practice in refusing to reinstate all workers, the NLRB in upholding the Judges' decisions, ordered the DNA to reinstate all employees, even if it means laying off replacement workers, and to compensate the locked out employees with back pay to the date of the offer to return to work; and

ADOPTED - FEBRUARY 6, 1999

Agenda Item No. 4

RESOLUTION #99-23

WHEREAS, DNA has appealed the NLRB decision.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Commissioners of Ingham County, State of Michigan, is on record in condemnation of the labor practices of DNA as determined by the agencies of the National Labor Relations Board and seeks to publicize its condemnation to the officers of DNA, of Gannett, Inc. of Arlington, Virginia, and of Knight-Ridder, of San Jose, California, to state and federal officials bearing responsibility to enforce labor law, and to the public through a general press release.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Board calls upon DNA by letter signed by its Chairperson to cease its obvious effort to continue its delay of compliance with the order of the NLRB, abandon its appeal to the courts and utilize the means of collective bargaining in good faith to make an honest effort to comply with the law and to respect the rights of its employees and the needs of the community at large.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Board calls upon local media outlets to include this matter in its news coverage as a concern of great importance, not only to the employees who are unfairly locked out of their jobs, but to the economy and well being of the whole State of Michigan.

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES/PERSONNEL: Yeas: McDonald, Lynch, Severino

Nays: Czarnecki, Minter Absent: None Approved 2/2/99