That Calgary Herald Strike

[JiriHrdina]

Wow. That was a while ago but yes, I think they essentially broke the union and just replaced people.

[Table 5]

isn't that how we were blessed with the wonderful dohbiggen himself? I remember they cleaned out the entire sports department.

[Bertuzzied]

Yes they broke the union. I asked the same question about 6 months ago and i think Cowperson gave me the whole Herald story.

One of the aftereffects was Dohboy coming here. Wheres the puke icon?

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Actually Dowbiggen was hired just before the strike and decided to cross the line and NOT strike when it was declared.

Ironic, eh?

[Table 5]

he must not have liked their jacket selection.

[the_only_turek_fan]

Who were the main Herald sports writers before Johnson/Dowbiggen/Petrie/Crushiank(sp?)

I dont remember, I know Eric Duhachek was one of them, and the others were ????

Cam Cole? Or is he Edmonton?

[JiriHrdina]

One of the old sports crew was Gyle Konopletz (or something like that - dude now writes for Business Edge). I can't recall if he was around jsut before the strike or not.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Eric Duhatschek and Mike Board were the two primary hockey writers I believe.

[looooob]

Steve Simmons was at the Herald eons ago, way pre-strike of course

Allan Maki was also at the Herald, but left in the late 90s?

Larry Wood, that dude was at the Herald forever

some names I remember from the sports pages

interesting on Eric D...he was on the radio on Friday talking about his own strike experiences at the Herald...he said he thought that going the replacement player route in the fall would be a mistake...saying that (in his experience) that would galvanize the players moreso...whereas as time goes on, if the owners don't poke the players with sticks they will eventually grow weary and lose sight of some of the 'prinicipals' they are supposedly fighting for. I think that's the essence of what he was trying to say?

[Cowperson]

Originally posted by looooob@Feb 14 2005, 09:47 PM
Steve Simmons was at the Herald eons ago, way pre-strike of course

Allan Maki was also at the Herald, but left in the late 90s?

Larry Wood, that dude was at the Herald forever

some names I remember from the sports pages

interesting on Eric D...he was on the radio on Friday talking about his own strike experiences at the Herald...he said he thought that going the replacement player route in the fall would be a mistake...saying that (in his experience) that would galvanize the players moreso...whereas as time goes on, if the owners don't poke the players with sticks they will eventually grow weary and lose sight of some of the 'prinicipals' they are supposedly fighting for. I think that's the essence of what he was trying to say?

I agree that I wouldn't give players something to rally around too early. Throwing replacements in front of them in October wouldn't crack them. But you might try it in January 2006 and certainly in October 2006. It'll end on one of those dates. The union will be broken.

Printer and journalist unions at the Herald went on strike.

Very hard core ideological people were in charge. On the journalist side, you saw quotes that they were fighting for their freedom in the newsroom and the Herald at the time was considered rather left wing in its editorial slant while in a pretty right wing city.

Management brought in some people at the top who had lots of experience in these matters, the breaking of difficult labour situations.

A contest of wills settled in. Replacement workers were brought in and there was violence on the picket line and intimidation and threats and physical damage to property in the community at homes, cars, etc.

In time though, workers began abandoning the fight, either finding other jobs like Duhatschek did, replaced by George Johnston, or crossing the line after they couldn't afford strike pay anymore. Lots of SUN reporters moved to the Herald.

In the end, if I'm right, about 75% of the union was inside the building.

The unions, with no one left, settled and those who were the most militant were offered packages to go away.

This was a pattern seen in bitter newspaper strikes in places like Seattle, Houston, Detroit and obviously in Britain.

Who owns the business? The people putting up the capital? Are the writers the product?

Dowbiggin was hired before the strike and published articles throughout. He might be a contract columnist and therefore unaffected by the union issues. But it would be fair to say he threw copy over the picket line.

Cowperson

[Table 5]

I wonder if Reggie was part of the strike....

[Bertuzzied]

Originally posted by Cowperson+Feb 14 2005, 09:58 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Cowperson @ Feb 14 2005, 09:58 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-looooob@Feb 14 2005, 09:47 PM
Steve Simmons was at the Herald eons ago, way pre-strike of course

Allan Maki was also at the Herald, but left in the late 90s?

Larry Wood, that dude was at the Herald forever

some names I remember from the sports pages

interesting on Eric D...he was on the radio on Friday talking about his own strike experiences at the Herald...he said he thought that going the replacement player route in the fall would be a mistake...saying that (in his experience) that would galvanize the players moreso...whereas as time goes on, if the owners don't poke the players with sticks they will eventually grow weary and lose sight of some of the 'prinicipals' they are supposedly fighting for. I think that's the essence of what he was trying to say?

I agree that I wouldn't give players something to rally around too early. Throwing replacements in front of them in October wouldn't crack them. But you might try it in January 2006 and certainly in October 2006. It'll end on one of those dates. The union will be broken.

Printer and journalist unions at the Herald went on strike.

Very hard core ideological people were in charge. On the journalist side, you saw quotes that they were fighting for their freedom in the newsroom and the Herald at the time was considered rather left wing in its editorial slant while in a pretty right wing city.

Management brought in some people at the top who had lots of experience in these matters, the breaking of difficult labour situations.

A contest of wills settled in. Replacement workers were brought in and there was violence on the picket line and intimidation and threats and physical damage to property in the community at homes, cars, etc.

In time though, workers began abandoning the fight, either finding other jobs like Duhatschek did, replaced by George Johnston, or crossing the line after they couldn't afford strike pay anymore. Lots of SUN reporters moved to the Herald.

In the end, if I'm right, about 75% of the union was inside the building.

The unions, with no one left, settled and those who were the most militant were offered packages to go away.

This was a pattern seen in bitter newspaper strikes in places like Seattle, Houston, Detroit and obviously in Britain.

Who owns the business? The people putting up the capital? Are the writers the product?

Dowbiggin was hired before the strike and published articles throughout. He might be a contract columnist and therefore unaffected by the union issues. But it would be fair to say he threw copy over the picket line.

Cowperson [/b][/quote]
Thanx Cow. Thorough as ever.

Now when can the damn Herald fire DOhboy? I miss reading my paper on Saturday.

[Looger]

i remember being sympathetic to some of the (declared) reasons to strike, like a list of headlines of articles written aboot shania that was a little extreme because the same parent company was promoting the upcoming concert.

people have to actually write that crap, and some of them got sick of it.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally posted by Looger@Feb 14 2005, 07:04 PM
i remember being sympathetic to some of the (declared) reasons to strike, like a list of headlines of articles written aboot shania that was a little extreme because the same parent company was promoting the upcoming concert.

people have to actually write that crap, and some of them got sick of it.

[Deelow]

I thought I read somewhere that Brucie boy was on his way out before the strike. The Herald wasn't happy with him (at the time he seemed to be writing from Toronto all the time) and he was on the chopping block but once the strike hit he was really the only experienced guy around so they kept him. Can't remember where I read that...so don't quote me.

[Prototype]

Originally posted by Deelow@Feb 15 2005, 06:06 AM
I thought I read somewhere that Brucie boy was on his way out before the strike. The Herald wasn't happy with him (at the time he seemed to be writing from Toronto all the time) and he was on the chopping block but once the strike hit he was really the only experienced guy around so they kept him. Can't remember where I read that...so don't quote me.

Ooops... (Sorry... I had too)

It's kinda a breath of fresh air moving to Red Deer, and not having attempts of covering all sports thrown down your throats like people know what they are talking about.

It's interesting to hear the radio, or read in the paper about midget and bantam teams and how they are doing up here. No empasis on the NFL or NBA or anything like that. I mean, I'm a fan of those leagues, but I know where to get the info, and it's not cut and pasted from somewhere else.

Then again, I can't afford a newspaper either, so that may be it too.

[CaramonLS]

Originally posted by fotze@Feb 14 2005, 09:00 PM
Does anyone remember what happened with the Calgary Herald strike? I don;t seem to remember any resolution. Did the company just end up hiring ne people and carry on?

Thats really weird you posted this... me and my roomate were discussing it earlier. He wasn't sure there was a strike still going on, I thought there was.