Ex-Newspaper Union Leader Blasts Hall of Fame Baseball Writer Tom Gage

July 26, 2015, 3:57 PM

Update -- Sunday, 11:30 p.m.: Tom Gage responds to Lou Mleczko's comments:

I was disappointed to learn of Lou’s comments.  But they will ring hollow to those who know me.

Even though I haven’t seen or heard from him in many years, I wish him well.

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The writer is a former Detroit News reporter and past head of the Detroit Newspaper Guild.  He posted this on his Facebook page in response to former News reporter Tom Gage's remarks about being heartbroken when he left the paper in March after being removed from the baseball beat. Gage spoke Saturday at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, where he was honored.

By Lou Mleczko

The News removed Tom Gage from his baseball beat. Tom Gage never lost his job. Gage was kept on as a sportswriter with no change in pay or benefits, courtesy of the Guild labor agreement.


Lou Mleczko (left) and Tom Gage

Gage crossed the union picket lines 20 years ago at the start of the 1995 newspaper strike and after the labor dispute ended in 2000. he steadfastly refused to rejoin the union, despite many entreaties from colleagues in the Guild.

It wasn't until several months before he retired, on a full Guild pension, that Gage finally rejoined and at the same time inquired whether the Guild could get him his beat back.

For almost 20 years, he blithely ignored contributing his fair share to support the union's ongoing efforts for decent pay, benefits and job protections for all News employees even though he never stopped enjoying those same benefits as a "free rider."

Now, he says he is "heartbroken" because management no longer cared about his service as the Tigers writer.

If I seem to have little sympathy for Tom Gage being dumped from the Tigers baseball beat, it’s because his narcissistic behavior breaks my heart.



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