Detroit Newspapers Asking 12% Pay Cut, Unions Say

Union leaders say Detroit's daily newspapers are proposing a 12 percent pay cut followed by a wage freeze.

Contracts expire Oct. 15 for 1,500 employees at the Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News and Detroit Media Partnership.

Lou Mleczko, president of Newspaper Guild Local 22, says the pay cut is not acceptable. But he says salaries are not yet on the front burner at the bargaining table.

Bob King, the head of the United Auto Workers, appeared Wednesday and urged the newspapers to require employees to join one of the four unions or at least pay an agency fee. The unions say there's no room for "free riders."

Rich Harshbarger of the Detroit Media Partnership declined to comment. The partnership runs the business operations of the papers.