Letters

LETTERS

AGENDA wants to know what you think!. Send letters: Editor, AGENDA, 220 S. Main St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Please include your address and phone number (not for publication). AGENDA reserves the right to edit (for length) or reject any letter.

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Newspaper Strike at Crossroads

The struggle of 2,000 Detroit newspaper workers for a just contract has reached a critical juncture.

The refusal of the Detroit Newspaper Agency to take back the locked-out workers makes it clearer every day that the newspaper owners are intent on breaking the unions and punishing the workers who dared to challenge these two powerful out-of-state corporations.

If Knight Ridder and Gannett succeed, they will have dealt a severe setback to the right of working people throughout America to organize collectively, thereby laying the foundation for yet more attacks on the living standards of everyone who works for a living.

We believe that we must form a new, even broader coalition of community based supporters willing to come together to help the locked-out newspaper workers in their continuing opposition to the strike-breaking, union-busting tactics of the DNA.

We know that the DNA is already hurting from loss of advertising support and cancellation of more than 300,000 News/Free Press subscriptions. Yet it continues to place its needs for profits above those of our own community. The DNA does not understand how strongly this community will fight back for jobs with dignity and justice!

With your help and support, our ad hoc coalition will be successful in strengthening the ongoing activities of other union, religious and community groups in support of workers' demands for a fair and just contract. Our short-term goals are:

• Re-energize the boycott of the two daily newspapers;
• Urge more businesses to withdraw advertising from the NewsFree Press,
• Mobilize the greatest possible grass roots participation in a mass pro-worker rally of men and women in Detroit on June 21, called by the National AFL-CIO.

When the most basic rights of working people are flouted, we all have an obligation to respond! Our first strategy meeting will take place on April 9th, at 7 pm at the Sacred Heart Church Activities Building, located at 1000 Eliot in Detroit. If you need more information, please call (313) 224-4545.

Please join us--we need you! NO SCAB PAPERS!

Maryann Mahaffey, A.C.S.W., Bishop Tom Gumbleton, Grace Boggs, Marian Kramer, General Baker, Jeanie Wylie-Kellermann, Ron Reosti, Rudy Simons

DETROIT, MI