1975–1976 Washington Post pressmen's strike
{{Short description|Strike action by The Washington Post's pressmen}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
The 1975–1976 Washington Post pressmen's strike was a strike action by The Washington Post's pressmen. The strike began on October 1, 1975. The Washington Post hired replacement workers to replace the union in December 1975. The last unions supporting the pressmen's strike returned to work in February 1976.
Background
{{main|The Washington Post}}
Eugene Meyer purchased the Washington Post at a bankruptcy auction in 1933 and generally had a good relationship with labor unions at the company. In 1946, his son-in-law Phil Graham took over as publisher, and Meyer's daughter Katharine Graham took over in 1963 after Phil Graham's suicide. The Post became a publicly-traded company in 1971.
The Post had suffered multiple strikes in previous years. In 1973, the printer's guild went on strike, and management quickly agreed to demands.{{cite news |last1=Solowey |first1=Fred |title=Unhappy Anniversary |url=https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/article/13006515/unhappy-anniversary |accessdate=26 November 2018 |work=Washington City Paper |date=29 September 1995 |language=en}} In 1974, the Newspaper Guild went on strike, but other unions did not support the strike.
Preparation
In preparation for an expected strike, the Post sent executives to the Newspaper Production Research Center in Oklahoma to learn how to operate presses.{{cite news |last1=Franklin |first1=Ben A. |title=WASHINGTON POST FIRM OVER STRIKE |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/10/12/archives/washington-post-firm-over-strike-with-pressmen-idle-for-a-2d-week.html |accessdate=26 November 2018 |work=The New York Times |date=12 October 1975 |language=en}} Preparations had started over two years before the strike began.
Start of the strike
The strike began in the early-morning hours of October 1. Around 4AM, a group of pressmen disabled the printing presses and causing other damage. The damage was initially reported by the Post as being in the millions {{citation needed|date=November 2018}}; later estimates by the Post were of $269,000 in damages. Other sources gave even lower damage estimates of $12,900.
The Washington Post did not publish a paper on October 2 as a result of the damage to the presses.
Later, the Post used a helicopter to access the building during the strike. This required special approval from the State Department due to restricted airspace in Washington D.C.{{cite news |last1=Rosenwald |first1=Michael |title=Katharine Graham was burned in effigy, but refused to give in during a violent strike |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/06/15/she-stood-up-katharine-grahams-fierce-fight-against-a-violent-pressmens-strike/ |accessdate=26 November 2018 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=16 June 2017 |language=en}}
Multiple other unions refused to cross the picket line of the pressmen and engaged in strikes of their own. The main exception was the Newspaper's Guild; over 500 journalists refused to support the strike.{{cite news |last1=Tucker |first1=Pete |title=Wash Post Busted Pressmen's Union in 1975 Strike. Why It Still Matters Today. |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/wash-post-busted-pressmens-union-in-1975-strike-why_us_599eed71e4b0cb7715bfd3b2 |accessdate=26 November 2018 |work=Huffington Post |date=25 August 2017}}
Negotiations
The strike initially had a dramatic effect on the Post'
In December 1975, the Post began to hire replacement workers to replace the pressmen's union. Many of them were African-American, in contrast to the mostly-white pressmen's union.
In February 1976, the Post reached an agreement with the remaining unions, which ended their sympathy strikes. The mailers' union reached an agreement on February 15.{{cite news |last1=Franklin |first1=Ben A. |title='Chastened' Unions Lick Their Wounds as Last Holdouts in 20‐Week Washington Post Strike Return to Work |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/02/29/archives/chastened-unions-lick-their-wounds-as-last-holdouts-in-20week.html |accessdate=26 November 2018 |work=The New York Times |date=29 February 1976 |language=en}}
Aftermath and Impact
The outcome of the strike was viewed as a victory for the Post and a defeat for the labor unions involved.{{cite magazine |last1=Fairlie |first1=Henry |title=Profit Without Honor |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/76636/profit-without-honor |accessdate=26 November 2018 |magazine=The New Republic |date=6 May 1977}} The Post was estimated to save $2 million in 1976 as a result of hiring non-union pressmen.
On October 2, 1976, to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of the start of the strike, a crowd of over 1000 supporting the pressmen met at McPherson Square. They proceeded to the Post's headquarters, where they burned Graham in effigy.{{cite web |title=The Washington Post Strike at the Crossroads, December 1975 |url=https://washingtonareaspark.com/2012/12/12/the-washington-post-strike-at-the-crossroads-december-1975/ |website=Washington Area Spark |accessdate=26 November 2018 |date=12 December 2012}}
In May 1977, 14 pressmen were sentenced for their participation in the initial sabotage; sentences ranged from fines to 1 year in jail.
References
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Category:1970s strikes in the United States
Category:1975 labor disputes and strikes
Category:1975 in Washington, D.C.
Category:1976 in Washington, D.C.
Category:Manufacturing industry labor disputes in the United States