Metro Detroit Greens (Wayne, Oakland & Macomb Counties)

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The Detroit Newspaper Strike/Lockout is Still Not Over!

The newspapers' argument was "on its face absurd, albeit a resourceful effort by the agency to escape its legal and ethical responsibilities." - NLRB Administrative Law Judge Karl H. Buschmann.

A unanimous National Labor Relations Board, three Democrats and two Republicans, found the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press guilty of violating federal labor law, which resulted in 2,500 union workers going on strike July 13, 1995.

Three Federal Court of Appeals judges, all appointed by President Reagan, reversed the NLRB and rescinded the unfair labor practice violations.

The six striking unions of the Metropolitan council of Labor Unions ask that you not read or buy the Detroit News or Detroit Free Press. Please join more than 400,000 former subscribers, who have cancelled their subscriptions until the papers settle new contracts with their unions.

Donald W. Boggs
President
Metropolitan Detroit AFL-CIO

Al Derey
Secretary Treasurer
Teamsters Local 372
313-965-6388

Ken Maxwell
President
Typographical Union No. 18
CWA 14503

Jack Howe
President
Graphic Communications
International Union 13N

Loraine McClure
President
Graphic Communications
International Union 289M

Alex Young
President
Teamsters Local 2040

Lou Mleczko
President
Newspaper Guild Local 22

What You Can Do to Help

  • Cancel your News/Free Press by calling 1-800-395-3500
  • Call for a free "No News or Free Press Wanted Here" lawn sign. Delivered free in the tri-county area. 313-963-6619
  • Read our newsletter "The Alliance" online at www.unioneyes.com or www.Detroitguild22.com

Metropolitan Council of Newspaper Unions
1249 Washington Blvd.
Suite 3300
Detroit, MI 48226


Help Ralph Debate!

If you believe that Bush and Gore should debate Ralph Nader in addition to debating each other, there is something you can do to help:

Stop buying and drinking Anheuser-Busch brand beers.

Anheuser-Busch is a major sponsor of the Presidential debates. They claim no responsibility for the decision of the bi-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates - a collusion between the Democratic and Republican Parties - to keep Nader (and Buchanan) out of the televised debates. But we think, if the sponsor wanted them in, they would be in; and if the sponsor agreed that not having them in is unfair, and the sponsor really could not influence the Commission, they would and could and should drop the sponsorship. There is no way the management of Anheuser-Busch can duck responsibility for choosing what to sponsor.

The company makes leading brands Budweiser, Bud Light, Busch, and Michelob, as well as specialty beers such as Tequiza, Devon's Shandy, Amber Bock, Red Wolf Lager, Red Hook, ZiegenBock Amber, Kirin, and O'Doul's (nonalcoholic). The company has investments or licensing agreements in Asia, Europe, and Latin America and sells its products in more than 80 countries. It also operates theme parks (Busch Gardens, SeaWorld) and water parks (Water Country USA, Adventure Island).

This is not a hard one to live with. If you especially like encouraging your local economy, then support your local brew pub. If you do your drinking at home, just have a better bottled beer. (There's lots of those. You may never go back.) If you are at a party, request a different beer and explain why to the hosts.

And if you don't drink, don't start now; but tell your beer-drinking buddies why they should switch. You can still help directly by not attending any of the Busch "theme parks" - there are plenty of alternative destinations.

If you want to let the company know what you are doing and why, just print out this form, fill it out and mail it to them.


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