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USWA Supporters Have Resorted to Fabricating News

7 September 2000

AK Steel Says USWA Supporters Have Resorted to Fabricating News to Disparage AK Steel Publicly AK STEEL CORPORATION LOGO AK Steel Corporation logo. (PRNewsFoto)[DM] MIDDLETOWN, OH USA 09/01/1999    

    MIDDLETOWN, Ohio, Sept. 7 AK Steel alleged
today that supporters of the United Steelworkers of America and its Local 169
in Mansfield, Ohio have resorted to fabricating a news story in an attempt to
vilify the company in public.
    (Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990901/AKSLOGO )
    A full-page advertisement placed in the Mansfield (OH) News Journal on
September 6, 2000, and signed by Ohio AFL-CIO president William A. Burga,
contains what appears to be the text of a news story which disparages AK
Steel.  The text in the advertisement was tagged with the name of a Spokane,
Washington newspaper, The Spokesman-Review.
    However, AK Steel said that the text attributed to the paper never
appeared in The Spokesman-Review, according to a representative for the
newspaper.
    When notified of the advertisement, a representative for The Spokesman-
Review quickly demanded by letter that the Mansfield News Journal publish a
correction or clarification and made it clear that The Spokesman-Review does
not take lightly the misattribution of its material and having its good name
used deceptively.  The Washington-state paper indicated it had sent a copy of
the letter to Burga.
    The advertisement in question included a plea to readers to attend a
"Solidarity Rally" in Mansfield on September 9.  According to AK Steel, a
similar rally was held in Mansfield on March 25.  Mr. Burga attended and spoke
during that rally that allegedly raised more than $50,000 from AFL-CIO union
members, according to union representatives who announced the contributions
during the rally.  The money was allegedly donated for members of USWA Local
169 in Mansfield, according to USWA union leaders who spoke at the rally.
    The AFL-CIO-sponsored advertisement carried the following text:

    "How much longer can A.K. Steel force its will on the city of Mansfield?
The members of USWA Local 169 could still be working if not for the greed of
A.K. Steel.  The company has brought a virtual invasion force of workers and
security guards into town.
    And now it is recruiting more out-of-state workers to prolong this
dispute."

    Directly under the text was this tag line: Spokane (Wash.) Spokesman-
Review.
    The Spokesman-Review, in a letter dated September 6, 2000 signed by Shaun
Higgins, responded to The News Journal saying, "For the record, while our
newspaper reported on August 11 that temporary workers at Kaiser's plant in
Spokane were being recruited on behalf of AK Steel.  We did not, as the
misattribution in the ad implied, allude to the character or motives of
AK Steel, the City of Mansfield or the members of USWA Local 169.  Indeed,
none of the text, per se, has ever appeared in our newspaper!"
    "This is a pathetic, desperate and shameful attempt to mislead union
members and the public," said Alan H. McCoy, vice president, public affairs
for AK Steel.  "That the president of the largest union group in Ohio would
use a fabricated news story to vilify AK Steel and foist a sham on the public
should send a chill into any news organization and cause AFL-CIO members to
question Mr. Burga's motives in publishing the misleading advertisement."