We are newspaper workers who have been on strike since July 13, 1995 against
the Detroit News, owned by Gannett, and the Detroit Free Press, owned by
Knight-Ridder. We were forced to strike by these greedy billionaire newspaper
chains who are out to bust our unions and deny us and our families a decent
livelihood.

Gannett and Knight-Ridder are demanding the elimination of hundreds of our
jobs as well as takeaways that would gut our contracts. In a public statement
made a month after the strike began, Robert Giles, Editor and Publisher of
the Detroit News, said: "We're going to hire a whole new workforce and go on
without unions, or they can surrender unconditionally and salvage what they
can. "

That has been the publishers' position from the beginning and it has not
changed in all these months. They are taking heavy financial losses in
Detroit as a result of the strike but they are prepared to absorb such losses
to achieve their main objective: bust the unions.

We believe the labor movement can stop them, that the Detroit newspaper
strike can be won through labor solidarity and strength demonstrated in a
massive national mobilization of the entire labor movement.

At its August 1996 meeting, the AFL-CIO Executive Council considered a
proposal for a National Labor March on Detroit. Although the proposal was
endorsed by the Metro Detroit AFL-CIO and the Metropolitan Council of
Newspaper Unions (made up of all striking Detroit newspaper unions), the
AFL-CIO Executive Council did not issue a call.

Now that the national election campaigns are over, we are appealing to unions
around the country and supporters of our strike to join us in urging AFL-CIO
President John Sweeney and the Executive Council to reconsider. A national
labor march on Detroit will show Gannett and Knight-Ridder that all of labor
supports this struggle -- physically as well as financially. And it can help
spur united labor actions in cities around the country directed against
Gannett and Knight-Ridder facilities, including USA Today.

We believe we must act now because the future of the labor movement will be
critically affected by the outcome of this strike. After all, if corporations
like Gannett and Knight-Ridder can break unions in a labor stronghold like Detroit; 
What union anywhere is safe from similar union-busting?

It's time for Solidarity Day 111, this time in Detroit. Please send a message
to AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington, D.C., urging a national labor march on
Detroit in support of striking newspaper workers. And please send a copy to
us. 

We deeply appreciate your continuing support.

Write, fax, call or E-mail:
John Sweeney
President, AFL-CIO
815 16th St. NW
Washington D.C. 20006
Fax: 202-508-6946
Phone:202-637-5000
E-mail:71112.53@compuserve.com

Internet:http://www.aficio.org


Hard Copy to:
Dia Pearce
Newspaper Guild of Detroit 3300 Book Bldg.
Detroit, Mi 48226

E-Mail to:Daymon2001@AOL.COM