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John's stalwart advocacy of the ideals
of the U.S. Constitution (especially
the Bill of Rights) and of the National
Labor Relations Act are key features of his letters.
There is, however, a more contoversial theme that
is at the very heart of his "mission". John feels
strongly that the many crafts and trade unions at the Post
are effectively preventing workers from writing the labor success
story that one, large, umbrella union could create.
While this might seem to make sense, such Union Unity
has never been forged through any attempted alliance to date.
In fact, the author of this page is keenly aware of the danger
of creating what could very quickly become a Company Union.
Never-the-less, the links below are provided in the hope of
stimulating a debate on the issues addressed in the letters,
and on the broader theme of Union Unity.
Note: Due to the large size of the archive,
this page will be updated regularly as more text is made available online.
Please "Reload" or
"Refresh" this page as often as you visit, as your browser
may not be set for automatic updates.
Warning! When you click on "Book One", you are opening a portal
into a world of painful truths - you are opening the first ten issues of
"The Call to Unity", the very first issue of which nails the truth to the wall
as profoundly as Martin Luther nailed his reformation to the door of the church.
Certainly in regards to the
Washington Post Mailer's Chapel, reform is long overdue.
Further Warning! John has maintained that focus,
that intensity, through another 60 "Books" - nearly 600 issues of "The Call".
Will you honor John's commitment with one of your own? Can you learn the language,
"walk the walk" and "talk the talk" with him here in this online archive?
Book One : November 17, 1994 - January 20, 1995.
Book Two : January 27, 1995 - March 31, 1995.
Book Three : April 07, 1995 - June 9, 1995.
Book Four : June 16, 1995 - August 18, 1995.
Book Five : August 25, 1995 - October 27, 1995.
Book Six : November 03, 1995 - January 05, 1996.
Book Seven : January 12, 1996 - March 15, 1996.
Book Eight : March 22, 1996 - May 24, 1996.
Book Nine : May 31, 1996 - August 02, 1996.
Book Ten : August 09, 1996 - October 11, 1996.
The August 16 letter includes an accusation of "cultural war",
which I read as class warfare, and a mention of an August 07 memo
outlining a "proposed" company cultural war policy in respect to
NLRB arbitrations.
Book Eleven : October 18, 1996 - December 20, 1996.
Book Twelve : December 27, 1996 - February 28, 1997.
Book Thirteen : March 07, 1997 - May 09, 1997.
Hey people! "For all you do, this Call's for you". Check out the March 07 issue.
Book Fourteen : May 16, 1997 - July 18, 1997.
"Cultural War" revisited.
Book Fifteen : July 25, 1997 - September 26, 1997.
Includes a scathing account of management incompetence.
Book Sixteen : October 03, 1997 - December 05, 1997.
Industrial Slaves. See Issue 151.
Book Seventeen : December 12, 1997 - February 13, 1998.
Seniority, class war, dignity. Can you say "Enron"? "WorldComm"? Perhaps "Washington Post"
should be added to the dishonor roll of mega-corporate deadbeats and cheaters. See Number 166.
Book Eighteen : February 20, 1998 - April 24, 1998.
Mission Restatement - number 172.
"Union Lite" Kick ass. - number 173.
The "oppression of absolute control" - number 176.
The Mailers are going down again, and John is NOT "happy" - number 177.
"Newspaper Production Workers Union" - number 180.
Book Nineteen : May 01, 1998 - July 03, 1998.
John makes a rather prescient prediction, in the May 22 Call, about the next
round of contract negiotiations (current in 2004).
Book Twenty : July 10, 1998 - September 11,1998.
Book Twenty-one : September 18, 1998 - November 20,1998.
Book Twenty-two : November 27, 1998 - January 29, 1999.
Book Twenty-three : February 05, 1999 - April 09, 1999.
Book Twenty-four : April 16, 1999 - June 18, 1999.
I have decried equipment "run-to-failure" and human "run-to-failure" as obscene, fascist
industrial policies of the Washington Post. John poignantly spotlights the tragic parallel
of union "run-to-failure" as the 20th century gasps to it's end, in
number 232.
Book Twenty-five : June 25, 1999 - August 27, 1999.
Book Twenty-six : September 03, 1999 - November 05, 1999.
Book Twenty-seven : November 12, 1999 - January 14, 2000.
Book Twenty-eight : January 21, 2000 - March 24, 2000.
Book Twenty-nine : March 31, 2000 - June 02, 2000.
Book Thirty : June 09, 2000 - August 11, 2000.
Book Thirty-one : August 18, 2000 - October 20, 2000.
Book Thirty-two : October 27, 2000 - December 29, 2000.
Book Thirty-three : January 05, 2001 - March 09, 2001.
Book Thirty-four : March 16, 2001 - May 18, 2001.
Book Thirty-five : May 25, 2001 - July 27, 2001.
Book 35 begins with a metaphor labeling our "owner" aristocratic. It concludes
with an issue acknowledging the passing of
Katherine Graham.
Book Thirty-six : August 03, 2001 - October 05, 2001.
Jumping out an E-stop. Over the course of several issues John gives us a peek through the
holes in the soles of the hypocrite
shoes the Washington Post laced up when their minions tried to kick a worker in the pants with the
Company's alleged Safety Policy.
Book Thirty-seven : October 12, 2001 - December 14, 2001.
Some of John's best work, as he continues the theme of Safety versus unsafe practices,
company retaliation, and management
hypocrisy. I think most of our co-workers would
agree with the contention that this episode is merely a representative sample of the
pervasive atmosphere of unsafe practices and unsafe management attitudes at the Washington Post.
Book Thirty-eight : December 21, 2001 - February 22, 2002.
John continues the safety theme - no "Company Policy" can be a substitute for
true Safe Practices - and he returns to the ultimate goal of Union Unity.
Book Thirty-nine : March 01, 2002 - May 03, 2002.
Book Forty : May 10, 2002 - July 12, 2002.
Book Forty-one : July 19, 2002 - September 20, 2002.
Book Forty-two : September 27, 2002 - November 29, 2002.
Book Forty-three : December 06, 2003 - February 07, 2003.
Book Forty-four : February 14, 2003 - April 18, 2003.
Book Forty-five : April 25, 2003 - June 27, 2003.
Was there ever a "Hazardous Voltages" memo? April 25, Number 441
Also check out Business Conduct vs Ethics. Poetic, brilliant, topical. Number 442.
Book Forty-six : July 04, 2003 - September 05, 2003.
Book Forty-seven : September 12, 2003 - November 14, 2003.
Business Ethics vs Business Conduct. John continues to be the only legitimate heavyweight in
THIS fight.
Book Forty-eight : November 21, 2003 - January 23, 2004.
Safety, the demise of minion b, hostile work environment, slavery, "the art" - there's
plenty of good red meat to chew on in this book. Have some! It's good for you. Builds strong
minds 10 ways.
Book Forty-nine : January 30, 2004 - April 02, 2004.
Several important issues here.
John reviews and summarizes past episodes of worker abuse, response, and retaliation, and he vows
to keep stirring the pot.
Book Fifty : April 09, 2004 - June 11, 2004.
Arbitrary "Rules", the Carrot and Stick, and the Hostile Work Environment.
Book Fifty-one : June 18, 2004 - August 20, 2004.
John tackles "at will" employment,
R-E-S-P-E-C-T,
discrimination,
vandalism,
ethics - integrity - dignity of work . . .
Book Fifty-two : August 27, 2004 - October 29, 2004.
Book Fifty-three : November 05, 2004 - January 07, 2005.
Book Fifty-four : January 14, 2005 - March 18, 2005.
Book Fifty-five : March 25, 2005 - May 27, 2005.
Important subject matter in Book 55:
John wrastles with a demon named "The Greater Good" in
Number 549.
Number 548, May 13, 2005 denounces the Post's immoral attack on pension funds,
exposing it as an attempt to create an illusion of artificially enhanced profitability for investors.
Rather timely in light of that week's stock holder meeting. Too bad the Mailer leadership did not
highlight this perspective in flyers handed out during their street demonstration the same day.
Number 547 takes a look at the
dark side of newspaper NON-profitability, investor relations, and the logical end of corporate
apathy and irresponsibility at the Post: a failed newspaper.
Also, dictatorial power and condescending
management attitudes,
the new no-smoking policy,
and the wages shell game played by Washington Post labor negotiators.
Book Fifty-six : June 03, 2005 - August 5, 2005.
The June 03 Issue merely states the facts, but in my mind
it practically begs the question:
"Why are the leaders of Organized Labor unable or unwilling to bring class action law suits
against corporations who engage in the types of discriminatory and selective enforcement practices
against union members that occur regularly at the Washington Post as if part of an unwritten
policy (has anyone seen the memo?) of Washington Post management?"
References abound in Book 56 to the rich vein of tragi-comic institutional idiocy that
apparently runs through all strata of Washington Post management and even Union management.
Substitute "intentional institutional amnesia" for "institutional memory" in your MBA textbooks, and you
might better understand the eager stupidity of the Darwin Award candidates refered to in
Nunber 553
and the increasingly inept bumbling of the minion class as a whole, alluded to in
Number 559.
Is it any wonder that Colonel, darling was eager to leave this sinking ship?
"Stay close to your desks and never go to sea, And you all may be rulers of the Queen's Navy." -
Sir Joseph Porter, First Lord of the Admiralty (Gilbert and Sullivan, "HMS Pinafore")
Book Fifty-seven : August 12, 2005 - October 14, 2005.
Book Fifty-eight : October 21, 2005 - December 23, 2005.
Book Fifty-nine : December 30, 2005 -
March 03, 2006.
The last issue in Book 59 - the March 03 issue - lambasts Post management for what John
charitably characterizes as unethical
ineptitude. "Immoral" might be just as appropriate in a situation that may not be created
entirely by ineptitude. Minion "incompetence" may be little more than a management excuse
for inexcusable corporate behavior - "if there's no grievance then there's no problem" . . .
Book Sixty : March 10, 2006 -
Issue #600, May12, 2006.
. . . and if there are no Unions there will be no grievances and thus no problems that
can't be solved by taking a trip up d' Nile - issue 591.
Great Creeping Paranoia ! If it can happen at GM . . . ?
Issue 594.
Form on the colors! As a Call To Unity,
Issue 596
cuts through the haze as clear as a bugle on a battlefield. Read up! Fall in!
Book Sixty-one :
Current Issue,
#601 features Safety as Farce.
Tragicomic absurdity.
***
That's the archive for now. Do you remember the bit of nay-saying I indulged at
the top? The banner below ought to teach me better, eh? Click on it
to see what I'm talking about. It was part of the 2004 CWA/IBEW combined campaign
for accountability at Verizon (formerly Bell Atlantic).
Tasty, isn't it? I mean, if it can happen at Verizon,
why can't it happen at the Washington Post?
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