Strike Two

No one was likely to claim credit for the achievement, but Cleveland's news paper strike had New York's beaten two ways: it started a week earlier and ran a week longer. In the process it set a new longevity mark for major U.S. cities. By the time Ohio's two biggest dailies--the Press (circ. 376,630) and the Plain Dealer (336,210)--resumed publication this week, the city had been blacked out for 129 days. Previous recordholder: Minneapolis, which was without papers for 116 days last year.

Cleveland's strike began with a surprise November walkout by delivery truck drivers demanding higher wages. They were followed next day by the 525-member Guild, representing editorial and commercial employees. Printers, mailers and machinists joined the picket lines too, but it was the Guild that kept the strike going for most of its 18 1/2 weeks. In New York, ironically, it was the Guildsmen who were most anxious to get back to work.

What the Guild wanted was an "agency shop" in which commercial employees who did not join the Guild would be required to ante up a "service fee" equivalent to regular dues. The Guild's chief opponent was blunt, outspoken Editor Louis Seltzer of Scripps-Howard's Press. "The people who do the creative and objective work on our papers." said he, "should not be required to be members of outside organizations--religious, capital or labor--or subject to their dictates." By the time the Guild finally approved its new contract in February, Seltzer had won his point. Commercial employees were given the option to join the Guild, to stay out, or to pay a service fee without joining. Most stayed out.

Even after the Guild settled, it took six weeks more of dreary bargaining to draw up contracts with the eight remaining newspaper unions. Last to sign were the striking printers and machinists, who at week's end ratified contracts similar to those won by the others and averaging $10 pay increases over two years. Total cost to the papers' 3,000 employees: $6,000,000 in lost wages.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.