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Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the May 11, 2000
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------Newspaper guild holds memorial for Key Martin
By Bill Wayland
New York
"For Key Martin, no task was too daunting. He always had a vision beyond what seemed possible," said Linda Foley, international president of the Newspaper Guild, Communications Workers of America, at an April 27 memorial meeting in New York. "Key was a champion of labor against corporate greed."
The meeting was an opportunity for Guild members and present and former Time-Life employees to express their feelings about Key Martin, who died March 18 of complications from surgery. Key, a longtime member of Workers World Party, led the Guild at Time Inc. from 1980 to 1997.
"Whether he was defending an employee or enforcing the contract or fighting to improve conditions for minorities at the company, Key did it with passion," said Grievance Committee Chair Alex Blanco. "He believed in the union, he lived the union 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
"In the causes he championed, he was fighting for us even when we didn't know it," said Larry Nesbitt, a floor representative at Life magazine. "He fought for us through the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. There are few real heroes in America today. Key was a hero and a friend."
Wilton Wood, who followed Martin as unit chair, recounted his many battles against automation layoffs, to bring temporary workers on staff and to stop the company's attempts to exclude new departments from the union. He told how Martin was elected to chair the Guild at Time shortly after being hired at the company because he had signed up a record number of new union members.
"He always stood for what is right, no matter what the cost," said Guild Local 3 Business Agent Barry Lipton. "He devoted his life to fighting racism and oppression and the exploitation of people."
Foley told of Martin's "tireless efforts" on behalf of the Detroit News and Free Press workers locked out for five years by the Gannett and Knight-Ridder media monopolies. "Many in the labor movement talk the talk," she said. "Key walked the walk. He was modest and unassuming, but his voice filled with passion when he said 'Organize!'
"Key knew that the future of the labor movement, the future of the entire movement for social justice, depends on organizing."
Bill Doares closed the meeting with a description of Key's long history in the struggle against war, racism and injustice before he came to the Guild. The meeting was chaired by current Unit Chair John Shostrom.
About 150 Guild members and present and former Time Inc. employees attended the Guild-organized event, held at the Time-Life building in New York.
A public memorial for Key Martin organized by Workers World Party will be held on June 11 at 3 p.m. at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology.
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