Title: Madison Press Connection Records
Inclusive Dates: 1977-1980

Creator:

• Madison Press Connection (Wis.)

Call Number: Mss 777; Micro 1184

Quantity: 3.4 cubic feet (8 archives boxes and 1 flat box) and 1 reel of microfilm (35 mm)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Records of the Madison Press Connection, a Madison, Wisconsin, organization which produced a daily newspaper first published in 1977 as a strike paper during a labor dispute with Madison Newspapers Inc. The paper ceased publication in 1980. Included are minutes of administrative and departmental meetings concerning operations as a worker-managed cooperative; microfilmed clippings about the history of the paper and the strike; stock, circulation, and business records; and reporters' research files concerning sports and other topics.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00777

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On October 1, 1977 two hundred workers from five unions went out on strike against Madison's major daily newspaper publisher, Madison Newspapers Inc., the publisher of the Wisconsin State Journal and the Capital Times. Because of deteriorating negotiations over automation and pay cuts, the unions had prepared for the possibility of a strike during the summer by forming the Newspaper Unity Committee, a coalition with members from each union that was involved. On October 9, the Unity Committee began publishing the Madison Press Connection, a sixteen-page weekly that was distributed free to the community. After publishing for thirteen consecutive Sundays the strikers voted to become a daily paper. Publication then halted for five weeks while the paper was organized. The first issue, which was mailed to subscribers, appeared on February 7, 1978.

MNI maintained that the strike had little impact on their operations. Although their circulation dipped slightly, neither the Capital Times nor the Wisconsin State Journal missed a day of publication. By March 1978 the company had filled all of the strikers' jobs with permanent replacements. As a result, Press Connection workers began to discuss forming a permanent newspaper. In July 1978 a board of directors was appointed and the paper was reorganized as a cooperative. Many members of the community purchased stock in the cooperative. In August 1978 workers began receiving small paychecks.

The paper suffered a severe financial crisis in the fall of 1978 when business manager Josh Leo Kennedy authorized $50,000.00 in bad checks, embezzled about $7,000.00, and left town. An emergency pledge drive raised $70,000 to keep the paper going. In early 1979 MNI settled with the Wisconsin State Journal Editorial Association and the Newspaper Guild. The NLRB ordered MNI to pay the unions $60,000 and $250,000 respectively and to open six positions for writers. Meanwhile Press Connection subscriptions reached 13,600, but revenues continued to fall short of expenses. Some workers voted to go without pay in order to maintain publication. The financial situation continued to decline, although the paper received a $50,000 line of credit from a local bank after one member of the board put his house up for collateral. In the fall the Press Connection launched a capitalization campaign designed to raise $100,000 through stock sales and donations.

In the fall of 1979 the Press Connection made national news when it published what was known as Charles Hansen's “H-Bomb letter.” At the time, the Progressive, another Madison publication, was involved in a suit with the federal government concerning its right to publish this information. After the publication by the Press Connection, the government dropped its case.

Despite the fundraising efforts the paper's situation became increasingly desperate. The paper had approximately 14,000 paid subscribers and 800 stockholders, but it had a $90,000 debt and it was losing money monthly. On December 31, 1979 the board voted to suspend publication; the final issue of the Press Connection appeared on January 3, 1980.

The records of the Press Connection document the survival struggles of an unusual strike newspaper. The records are best on the Press Connection's financial operations, providing good documentation for examining the frequent allegation that the paper collapsed because of its inability to compete as a business. The records also include complete files of the board and the production council, the two bodies chiefly responsible for management and editorial decision-making at the paper. This documentation illuminates not only the editorial history of the paper, but also the attempts of the staff to operate as a worker-managed cooperative. For more information on the editorial history of the paper, the microfilmed collection of the paper, which is available in the SHSW Library, is the best source.

The records are organized as Background Material, Minutes and Administrative Records, Financial Records, Stock Records, Advertising Records, Circulation Records, Personnel Records, Miscellaneous Records, and Reporters' Research Materials.

BACKGROUND MATERIAL consists of microfilmed clippings about the Connection and the strike which spawned it, a University of Wisconsin student paper which analyzed communications at the paper, a file containing examples of material sent to supporters, a newsletter published by the cooperative, and memorabilia. Among the memorabilia is a handmade book containing strikers' signatures, examples of promotional material, a copy of the issue containing the H-Bomb story, a picket sign, and a colored Mike Konopacki cartoon used in Press Connection advertisements.

MINUTES AND ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS are the most important documentation in the collection concerning decision making at the Press Connection. Included are minutes of meetings of the Board of Directors and the Production Council, which was responsible for day-to-day operation of the paper, and of the Circulation Department's weekly meetings. The board minutes generally include all proposals and reports that were presented. Also in the file are an agenda, election results, and proposals from the second general membership meeting on January 7, 1980. This series also contains by-laws and articles of incorporation of the Newspaper Unity Committee, the predecessor of the Connection.

STOCK RECORDS include correspondence, ledgers, and lists of stockholders, all of which document not only the segment of the community that supported the strikers by becoming stockholders but also the complex system used to monitor payments. Original purchase agreement forms for the general membership (#41-188 only), the staff, and the $1,000 club are available in microfilmed form only. Also included here are monthly bank statements of the escrow account set up to protect shareholder investments.

FINANCIAL RECORDS have been been heavily weeded to remove routine detail such as bills and receipts, although sample accounts payable materials have been kept to document the large amounts spent on attorney fees and publicity. Monthly statements, ledgers, and other standard accounting records document well the newspaper's economic difficulties and financial position. The fundraising material included here contains information on pledge drives and the sale of a book of political cartoons by Mike Konopacki. Also filed here are ledgers and other financial records concerning the job printing shop which was maintained for several months after suspension of publication.

The CIRCULATION RECORDS have been similarly weeded, and again sample records have been retained for their evidential value. Most useful here is the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) report volume which contains daily circulation figures for 1978 and 1979. Among the contents of the file entitled Circulation Department Bulletin Board are several important memoranda concerning the worker management structure of the Connection.

The PERSONNEL RECORDS contain important background information on workers through applications, insurance forms, and payroll records. Also included is information on the ways in which some employees supplemented their small wages with unemployment benefits or with donations.

MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS includes contracts with several printers, leases and subleases, equipment inventories, interoffice communications (in the general correspondence file), and insurance information.

The REPORTERS' RESEARCH MATERIALS, which primarily consist of publicity material and press releases related to amateur and professional athletics, are unquestionably only a small portion of similar research material used by Press Connection writers. Although the file fails to indicate how such material was utilized by the staff, it has been retained for journalism researchers as a representative sample of public relations material of the period.

Acquisition Information

Presented by the Madison Press Connection via Scott Herrick and by Robert Kimbrough and Sarah Cooper. Accession Number: M80-35, M81-322, M86-231, M89-192

Processing Information

Processed by Deb Shapiro (archives intern), 1989.

Micro 1184	Series: Background Material
	Clippings Note: Filmed without a counter.
Reel   1	MNI strike, 1977-1979
Reel   1	Press Connection history, 1977-1980
Mss 777 Box   1 Folder   1	“Looking at the Connection,” 1979
Box   1 Folder   2	Membership mailings sample, 1978-1980
Box   1 Folder   3	Management structure, 1979
Box   1 Folder   4	Memorabilia
Box   1 Folder   5	Newsletters, 1979-1980
Box   1 Folder   6	Tradename application, 1980
	Series: Minutes and Administrative Records	⇧
Box   1 Folder   11	Newspaper Unity Committee by-laws, 1977
	Press Connection
	Board
Box   1 Folder   7	Applications, 1979
Box   1 Folder   8	Correspondence, 1978-1980
Box   1 Folder   9-10	Minutes, 1978-1980
Box   1 Folder   12	By-laws, 1978
Box   1 Folder   13	Circulation Department minutes, 1979
Box   1 Folder   14	Membership meeting, 1980
Box   1 Folder   15	Production Council minutes, 1978-1979
Box   1 Folder   16	Workers Council, undated
	Series: Stock Records	⇧
Box   1 Folder   17	Certificate design and samples, undated
Box   1 Folder   18	Correspondence, 1979
	Escrow account, 1978-1980
Box   1 Folder   19	General
Micro 1184 Reel   1 Frame   1	Depositors form letter, 1980
Mss 777 Box   2 Folder   1	January 1 Fund stock conversions, 1980
Box   9	Ledger of common and preferred stock, 1979-1980
Box   2 Folder   2	Ledger of payments, 1979 February
	Purchase agreements
Micro 1184 Reel   1 Frame   32	General, #41-188
	$1000 Investment Plan, 1979
Reel   1 Frame   252	Notes
Mss 777 Box   2 Folder   3	General material
	Staff promissory notes, 1978
Box   2 Folder   4	Memoranda
Micro 1184 Reel   1 Frame   272	Notes
Mss 777 Box   2 Folder   5	Stockholders mailing list, 1979
Box   2 Folder   6	Stockholders monthly lists, 1979-1980
	Series: Financial Records	⇧
	Accounting records
	Accounts payable
Box   2 Folder   7	Sample material, undated
Box   2 Folder   8	Ledger, 1979
Box   2 Folder   9	Summary of last quarter, 1979
	Accounts receivable
Box   2 Folder   10	Ledger, 1979-1980
Box   2 Folder   11	Project, 1980
Box   2 Folder   13	Balance sheets and statements, 1978
Box   2 Folder   14	Budgets, 1978-1979
Box   2 Folder   15	Cash flow statements, 1979-1980
Box   3 Folder   1	Loan papers
Box   3 Folder   2	Statements, 1978-1980
Box   3 Folder   3	Tax returns, 1977-1978
Box   3 Folder   12	Business manager's correspondence, 1980
	Fundraising
Box   2 Folder   16	Konopacki book, 1979
	Never on Sunday
Box   2 Folder   17	General
Micro 1184 Reel   1 Frame   329	Petitions
Mss 777 Box   2 Folder   18	Phone canvas instructions, 1979-1980
	Job printing shop
Box   2 Folder   20	Check ledger, 1980
Box   2 Folder   21	Correspondence, 1980-198l
Box   2 Folder   22	General ledger, 1980
Box   2 Folder   19	Miscellaneous material
	Series: Advertising Records	⇧
Box   3 Folder   4	Advertising contract samples, 1978-1979
Box   3 Folder   5	Comparative sales figures, 1978-1979
Box   3 Folder   6	Insert orders, 1979
Box   3 Folder   7	Armed forces, undated
Box   3 Folder   8	Political advertising, undated
Box   3 Folder   9	Legal notices, 1979
Box   3 Folder   10	Madison advertising, 1979
Box   3 Folder   11	Overdue accounts, 1978
Box   3 Folder   12	Report, 1978
Box   3 Folder   13	Small Claims Court cases, undated
Box   3 Folder   14	Staff sales commissions, 1979
Box   3 Folder   15	Trade agreement ads, 1979-1980
	Series: Circulation Records	⇧
	Audit Bureau of Circulation
Box   3 Folder   16	Audit reports and correspondence, 1979-1980
Box   3 Folder   17	Daily circulation figures (sample reports), 1979
Box   9 Folder   2	Summary, 1978-1980
Box   3 Folder   18	“Bulletin board,” 1979
Box   3 Folder   19	Carrier information, undated
Box   3 Folder   20	District sales manager job, 1979
Box   3 Folder   21	Subscription drive volunteer instruction, 1978
Box   7 Folder   22	Thanksgiving Day free distribution, 1978
Box   7 Folder   23	Work permits, 1978
	Series: Personnel Records	⇧
Box   7 Folder   24	Applications, undated
Box   7 Folder   25	Confidential financial statements, 1978
Box   7 Folder   26	Freelance photographer payments, 1978
Box   7 Folder   27	Group Health Cooperative, Policy and application, 1979-1980
Box   4 Folder   1	Payroll register, 1978-1980
Box   4 Folder   2-3	Personnel files
Box   4 Folder   4	Staff lists, 1979
Box   4 Folder   5	Unemployment compensation, 1978-1980
Box   4 Folder   6	Wisconsin Physicians Service, 1979-1980
Box   4 Folder   7	Workers payroll support fund, 1979-1980
	Series: Miscellaneous Records	⇧
Box   4 Folder   8	Contracts and leases, 1977-1980
Box   4 Folder   9	Cooperative League, 1979
Box   4 Folder   10	Correspondence, miscellaneous, 1978-1979
	Insurance
Box   4 Folder   11	Miscellaneous
Box   4 Folder   12	General and Workers Compensation
Box   4 Folder   13	Equipment, 1979
Box   4 Folder   14	Property inventory, undated
	Series: Reporters' Research Materials	⇧
Box   5 Folder   1	Arts, undated
Box   5 Folder   2	Birthing services, undated
Box   5 Folder   3	Miscellaneous material
	Sports
	General
Box   5 Folder   4	Automobile racing
Box   5 Folder   5	Baseball, local
Box   5 Folder   6	Biking
Box   5 Folder   8	Bowling
Box   5 Folder   7	Brewers
Box   5 Folder   9	Camping
Box   5 Folder   10	Canoeing
Box   5 Folder   11	Chicago Cubs
Box   5 Folder   12	Climbing
Box   5 Folder   13	Fishing
Box   5 Folder   14	Forestry and wetlands
Box   5 Folder   15	Golf
Box   5 Folder   16	Green Bay Packers
Box   6 Folder   1	Hockey
Box   6 Folder   2	Milwaukee Bucks
Box   6 Folder   3	Milwaukee Does
Box   6 Folder   4-5	Miscellaneous files
Box   6 Folder   6-8	Olympics
Box   6 Folder   9	Rugby
Box   6 Folder   10	Running
Box   6 Folder   11	Sailing
Box   6 Folder   12	Skating
Box   6 Folder   13	Skiing
Box   6 Folder   14	Snowmobiling
Box   6 Folder   15	Soccer
Box   6 Folder   16	Softball
Box   6 Folder   17	Swimming
Box   6 Folder   18	Tennis
Box   6 Folder   19	Track
Box   6 Folder   20	Umpire strike, 1979
Box   7 Folder   1	Volleyball
Box   7 Folder   2	Wildlife
Box   7 Folder   3	Wisconsin tourism
	College and university sports
Box   7 Folder   4	Big 8
Box   7 Folder   5	Big Ski Conference
Box   7 Folder   6	Big 10
Box   7 Folder   7	CCHA
Box   7 Folder   8	ECHA
Box   7 Folder   9	Edgewood College
Box   7 Folder   10	MATC
Box   7 Folder   11	Marquette
Box   7 Folder   12	NCAA
	University of Wisconsin
Box   7 Folder   13	General
Box   7 Folder   14	Badminton
Box   7 Folder   15	Baseball
Box   7 Folder   16	Basketball, Men's
Box   7 Folder   17	Basketball, Women's
Box   8 Folder   1	Crew
Box   8 Folder   2	Cross Country, Men's
Box   8 Folder   3	Cross Country, Women's
Box   8 Folder   4	Field Hockey
Box   8 Folder   5	Football
Box   8 Folder   6	Golf
Box   8 Folder   7	Gymnastics, Men's
Box   8 Folder   8	Gymnastics, Women's
Box   8 Folder   9	Soccer
Box   8 Folder   10	Swimming, Men's
Box   8 Folder   11	Swimming, Women's
Box   8 Folder   12	Tennis, Women's
Box   8 Folder   13	Track, Men's
Box   8 Folder   14	Track, Women's
Box   8 Folder   15	Volleyball
Box   8 Folder   16	Wrestling
Box   8 Folder   17	Western Collegiate Hockey Association
Box   8 Folder   18-19	Wisconsin State University Conference