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Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Dec. 28, 2000
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------Seattle newspaper strikers rally public support
By Charles (Kaz) Susat
Assistant Chapel Chair
Graphic Communications
International Union Local 767M
SeattleSome 500 striking newspaper workers, family members and supporters rallied and marched through the streets of downtown Seattle Dec. 16 to kick off a boycott campaign against the Seattle Times, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and their advertisers.
The Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild has been on strike against both newspapers since Nov. 21. Both papers are produced and distributed by the Seattle Times. The Guild represents over 1,000 workers at both papers, including reporters, photographers, sales representatives, customer service people and many other low-paid workers.
The plight of the newer, lower-paid workers and an end to the multi-tiered wage scale based on performance are the key issues in the strike.
The rally, held during a driving rainstorm, featured solidarity messages from many other unions.
Kevin Cota spoke representing the 20 percent of Graphics Communications International Union Local 767M press operators who are honoring Newspaper Guild picket lines.
Steve Williamson, executive secretary of the King County Labor Council, announced that the council would begin calling all 150,000 union members in the county and asking them to cancel their subscriptions.
Strikers and supporters then marched past Nordstrom's and the Bon, two of the newspapers' major advertisers, to Westlake Square. From there people dispersed to blanket holiday shoppers with leaflets, copies of the strike paper known as the Seattle Union Record, and postcards to cancel subscriptions.
Scab papers charge half price
Since the strike's beginning, the Times and Post-Intelligencer have been given away free in a futile attempt to maintain circulation. Most of a capitalist newspaper's revenue comes from selling advertisements. Circulation numbers determine the ad rates. Beginning Sunday, Dec. 17, the papers were being sold at half price.
When the Sunday scab paper hit the streets, strikers confronted paper sellers and handed out subscription cancellation cards and lists of advertisers to boycott. The strikers' message was well received. This reporter saw a scab paper seller make only one sale in an hour.
Meanwhile the strike paper has begun home delivery in some areas.
The Dec. 16 edition of the Seattle Union Record featured a scathing article on Teamsters Local 763 President John Rabine, who is not honoring the strike. Rabine and his followers violated the union constitution by using a petition drive to ratify the company's final offer. The union rules clearly state that any vote to accept or reject a contract must be made by secret ballot. The 800 Teamsters who assemble and bundle the papers had earlier rejected a similar offer and voted to strike.
The Guild remains strong and public support continues to grow. After calling off negotiations twice, the companies were back at the bargaining table Dec. 18.
As the strike enters its second month, workers' spirits remain high. "I'll be out here as long as it takes," said striking columnist Jean Godden, "one day longer than them."
The Seattle Union Record can be read online at www.unionrecord.com.
The writer is one of the pressroom workers honoring the picket lines.
This article is copyright under a Creative Commons License.
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