The above paragraph is not meant to attack the workers who are still active around the strike (now a lock out) and the work that they do. Rather it is intended just to point out that Bonior's action is not all that impressive.
It is interesting to note that in the weeks before this incident happened, Bonior had been on kind of Detroit Newspaper strike kick. He had attended the big Action Mowtown rally and then spoke about it on the house floor. Not sure what he has done about it since though.
Micah
On Mon, 14 Dec 1998, Nathan Newman wrote:
> This is the reason why I defend Dems. There is a clear difference between
> Republicans seeking to destroy unions and Dem leaders like Bonior willing
> to be arrested on behalf of unions. --Nathan
> ----------------------------------------------
>
> Bonior, 5 others arrested after refusing to leave Detroit News offices
>
> Detroit News
> 7/12/97 Chris Farina / The Detroit News
>
>
>
> David Bonier, far right is among six people arrested and taken away in a
> paddy wagon from The Detroit News by police Friday. Others from left are
> Brad Markel, on cell phone; Vanessa Sylvester and the Rev. John Nowlan.
> (Picture looking in back door of paddy wagon)
>
> U.S. Rep. David Bonior was arrested Friday after refusing to leave the
> offices of The Detroit News unless it and the Detroit Free Press agreed to
> return to work all of the people who went on strike two years ago.
>
> Bonior and five other protesters with him were charged with trespassing
> and released, police Officer Allene Ray said. Police Inspector John Whitty
> said the six refused several orders to leave the News offices, then left
> with police peacefully and were driven away in a police van.
>
> The demands by Bonior, the minority whip in the House, included amnesty
> for workers who have been fired, an apology from the newspapers, good
> faith bargaining and signed contracts as soon as possible.
>
> Susie Ellwood, spokeswoman for Detroit Newspapers, the joint business and
> production agency for the two newspapers, said the companies always have
> been willing to bargain.
>
> "We have continued to be available to bargain, and we have had meetings
> going on. We have not broken the law, and I think the quicker the unions
> would commit themselves to be reasonable and to really get back to work,
> the quicker this community would heal," she said.
>
> Bonior's protest came two days before the two-year anniversary of the
> start of the strike by 2,500 workers. The strike ended in February when
> strikers unconditionally offered to return to work, but the unions said
> the offers were not accepted because all of the workers weren't brought
> back to work right away. The newspapers said they intended to keep the
> 1,200 replacement workers they hired.
>
> Bonior said in telephone interviews that the group met for 40 to 50
> minutes with Tom Bray, editorial page editor of the News. He said Bray
> ended the meeting.
>
> Bonior said he was joined by Brad Markel of the Wayne State University
> School of Labor Studies; Bob King, executive director of United Auto
> Workers Region 1a; Gloria Cobbin, chair of the 15th Congressional District
> and secretary-treasurer of the Metropolitan Detroit AFL-CIO; the Rev. John
> Nowlan of St. Hilary's Catholic Church in Redford, a Detroit suburb; and
> Vanessa Sylvester, organizing director for the United Food and Commercial
> Workers Union Local 951.
>
> The six were ordered to appear in 36th District Court on July 23. "Put
> people back to work today so they can take care of their families, and so
> we can begin to heal the wounds in our community," Bonior said in a
> statement.
>
> While Bonior and the other protesters were inside the News building,
> outside the unions held a rally which attracted a couple hundred people
> and included picketing, speeches, songs, and chanting of slogans.
>
> Bonior later spoke for about 10 minutes at a union meeting. "We will
> continue with your struggle until justice is done," he said. The National
> Labor Relations Board has requested a court order to quickly return the
> former strikers to their jobs, even if it means firing replacement
> workers.
>
> NLRB Chairman William B. Gould IV said he voted to seek the injunction
> because an administrative law judge ruled that unfair labor practices
> caused the strike and ordered that the former strikers be returned to
> work. Gould said another reason was that it could take two to three years
> to settle the labor dispute because of appeals.
>
> About 2,500 workers walked out. Hundreds have since taken other jobs,
> returned to the newspapers during the strike, retired, resigned or
> declined offers to return.
>
> The injunction request would apply only to workers who were not fired for
> strike-related activities. About 215 workers have been fired. Dozens of
> those workers are seeking to have their dismissals overturned in a
> separate NLRB case.
>
>
>