The Hypocrisy of Newspaper Labor Policies
As Seattle prepares for Labor Day, the Post-Intelligencer calls out Democratic-aligned newspapers for employing non-union labor.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
In 1884 and 1888, the Democrats attempted to make capital out of the fact that the New York Tribune, while paying high wages to its printers, did not employ members of the typographical union. Several months ago, the New York Tribune settled its difficulties with the typographical union. Now the typographical union turns on the Democratic national committee and inquires how they can denounce the Tribune while permitting five of the leading newspaper organs of their party to remain non-union offices. The New York Staats-Zeitung, the New York Evening Post, the Brooklyn Eagle, the Philadelphia Record and the Louisville Courier-Journal all employ non-union labor. All indications are that the celebration of Labor day will be as general and enthusiastic as that of any previous year. Not only are the various trades unions entering heartily into the celebration, but the business men of Seattle have shown a commendable interest in it and will show their regard for the day by closing their places of business.
“It looks very much as if the Democratic effort to injure Mr. Reid, who has settled his trouble with the typographical union, will only call attention to the fact that five leading Democratic journals not only have refused to 'settle' with the typographical union, but curtly have told the union that they have nothing to settle.”
The tension between corporate media outlets and organized labor remains a staple of Seattle's political landscape. Just as in 1891, the fight over which publications are truly 'union-friendly' continues to shape the civic narrative of the city.
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