Government Says Detroit Papers Spied On Unions

The government has accused Detroit Newspapers Inc. of using an employee to spy on newspaper unions and the unions of conducting illegal boycotts of a newspaper advertiser.

The unions’ 19-month walkout ended in February after strikers made an unconditional offer to end the strike. But legal arguments continue about rehiring workers who went on strike.

A National Labor Relations Board complaint, signed Wednesday and made public Thursday, alleges that John Taylor, senior legal counsel and director of labor relations for Detroit Newspapers, used a circulation employee to spy on union activities from October 1990 until July 1996. The alleged spying amounted to unfair labor practices, the NLRB said.

The charge will be argued at a Sept. 10 hearing, NLRB Regional Director William Schaub said.

Union officials in March asked Schaub to make the complaint, alleging employee James Victor Holley accepted a better job and more money in return for reporting to Taylor on union strategies and activities.

Newspaper officials said then that the union’s spying allegations were a desperate effort to attract media attention.

Thursday, Taylor denied the spying charge.

“There’s no doubt in my mind we will prevail at trial,” he said.

Six union locals representing some 2,500 workers went on strike in July 1995 against The Detroit News, the Detroit Free Press and Detroit Newspapers, which is the joint business and production agency for the newspapers.