Papers may strike Monday

After a month of negotiations, leaders of 10 unions at The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Philadelphia Daily News have threatened to strike on Monday afternoon between 1 and 4 p.m. if the two sides do not reach an agreement by then. Joseph Lyons, president of the Philadelphia Council of Newspaper Unions, announced the call for a strike Wednesday, saying in a statement that both sides are prepared to negotiate around the clock until the afternoon deadline. "Our unions are preparing for a work stoppage if necessary," he said. "We are coordinating the picketing assignments and other work." Robert Hall, chairman and publisher of Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. – which owns the two newspapers – said he welcomes the new deadline. "I think it's wonderful," Hall said. "I think everyone's been pushing for a deadline. We've been working day to day for a month." PNI has said a small non-union staff will continue publishing newspapers at its suburban Philadelphia printing plant if there is a strike. Union members have said they will attempt to block distribution of the newspapers. Among the unions' grievances are non-union workers doing jobs they feel should be staffed by union members, wage and benefits disputes and the issue of the company's jurisdiction in certain areas of distributing and staffing the newspaper. Since September 1, when the unions' contracts expired, negotiations between PNI and the unions have proceeded on a day-to-day basis. But union leaders, who represent over 3,000 journalists, truck drivers, press operators and other workers, say negotiations have been unsatisfactory so far, which prompted the Monday deadline. "We've felt the company has not been reasonable," Philadelphia Newspaper Guild spokesperson David Baum said. According to Baum, plans put forward by PNI have not adequately addressed both economic and non-economic issues that are concerns of the unions. PNI has reached non-economic agreements with all but three of the 10 unions – Teamsters Locals 628 and 1414 and the Newspaper Guild. Those agreements must be reached before negotiations on the economic issues can begin. The 10 unions have come together as the Unity Council and are currently negotiating in tandem. "The jurisdiction issue transcends our union," Baum said. "The Unity Council wants the jurisdiction issue settled. These employees have made this a very profitable newspaper, and they should reap some rewards from that." Newspaper Guild Local 10 President Kitty Caparella wrote in her report to the Unity Council that negotiations were stalling, and "PNI's so-called 'best shot' [at a compromise]?is more like a shot between the eyes." Hall said he does not foresee a strike. "I think everyone is working towards a settlement," Hall said. "I don't think anyone on either side wants a work stoppage." In 1985, such a strike lasted 46 days and cost PNI over $16.2 million. A federal mediator, Walter Bednarczyk, will coordinate the negotiations aimed at averting a strike.

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