Chicago Indymedia : http://chicago.indymedia.org/archive
Chicago Indymedia

News :: [none]

StreetWise staff conditionally agrees to return after lockout

In a bizarre turn-about, the Executive Director of StreetWise, Anthony Oliver, has asked the editorial and production staff of the paper to return to work after expelling them from the StreetWise building on Tuesday and Wednesday. The editorial staff of the paper have conditionally agreed to return to work Thursday morning.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: (773) 275-9561
12:00 AM, February 8, 2001


AT ELEVENTH HOUR, STREETWISE EDITORIAL STAFF IS ASKED BACK TO PRODUCE PAPER AFTER LOCK-OUT AND FIRINGS

-- Editors Agree To Return After Bizarre Behavior of
StreetWise Director Anthony Oliver --

PRESS CONFERENCE
Editorial collective and writers to hold press conference
at 10:00 AM this morning at StreetWise offices
1331 S. Michigan Ave.

CHICAGO, IL – In a bizarre turn-about, the Executive Director of StreetWise, Anthony Oliver, has asked the editorial and production staff of the paper to return to work after expelling them from the StreetWise building on Tuesday and Wednesday. The editorial staff of the paper conditionally agreed to return to work at 9:00 a.m. this morning. The editorial staff will hold a joint press conference in front of the StreetWise building at 10:00 AM this morning.

On Monday, February 5, StreetWise editor Charity Crouse and several other employees at the paper sent a letter to the StreetWise Board of Directors, asking them to investigate the recent actions of Executive Director Anthony Oliver, including his firing of Editor-in-Chief Jalyne Strong. A senior-level manager recently hired at the organization, John Sanbonmatsu, sent a letter supporting the staff to the Board later the same day. On Tuesday, when Crouse and StreetWise production chief Allen Gomez showed up for work at StreetWise they were ordered to leave the premises immediately. Freelance writer Rayford Allen was informed that his “contracting services are no longer needed, effective immediately.” On Wednesday, Rayford Allen was rehired. Then, associate editor Kari Lydersen was fired and StreetWise Commentary Editor John K. Wilson was told not to report to work. Meanwhile, Oliver had a former StreetWise editor flown in from out of state to produce the paper himself.

“The other editors and writers and I are anxious to get back to work on the paper,” StreetWise Editor Crouse commented from her apartment in Chicago. “Any interruption in production hurts the vendors, and Oliver’s actions have seriously set back our production schedule. However, we promise the vendors to do everything we can to get this issue out on time.”

At approximately 9:00 p.m. last night, Crouse received a call from StreetWise Operations Director Dianne Kenner, asking her to return to work immediately to produce the paper. Later in the evening, the other locked-out employees were told that they too could return to work.

Background information and documents related to this crisis in Chicago’s largest alternative weekly can be obtained from the Chicago Independent Media Center website at www.chicago.indymedia.org.

-- 30 --
 
 

Donate

Views

Account Login

Media Centers

 

This site made manifest by dadaIMC software