The Vault
1970’S DRIVER’S STRIKE AT DE PERE
Posted on: Monday November 18, 2024
Jim Zima was the long time beat reporter of the racing at the Brown County Fairgrounds in De Pere, Wisconsin in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
STAFF’S STUFF by Green Bay Press Gazette sports writer Jim Zima
(The date this was printed is unknown but one of Zima’s regular “beats” if you will was covering racing at the Brown County Fairgrounds in De Pere, Wisconsin in the early to mid 1970’s. Enjoy!)
Do the drivers at Shawano and De Pere need a five percent raise on their purse money?
Can Jack Peters, the race promoter at De Pere, and the Shawano County Fair Association, the Shawano promoter, afford it?
This is an internal problem which should be settled by the parties concerned and not by the fans. But by calling a strike at De Pere last Sunday night, the drivers used the 4,000 fans in attendance as pawns to get what they want.
The strike, called between time trials and the first race, resulted in a beer can throwing incident which has to rank as a dark day in Green Bay area sports history.
Bush League
It was strictly bush league on the part of the drivers and close to barbaric on the part of the fans, even though they had every right to be irritated. Strikes in pro sports are not unheard of as was evidenced by the pro football players strike last summer. But the football players struck before the start of the season. They didn’t play one half of the game and then call a strike before the second half, which is akin to what the drivers did.
Accepted 45 percent
The drivers claim that twice prior to the start of the racing season they talked with Peters and asked that the purse be raised from 45 to 50 percent. Peters, the drivers report, turned them down and that was that.
This was the time to strike, before the season got underway. But they didn’t. By not striking then, I would think they accepted the 45 percent of the gate purse.
Therefore, they should finish the season under the 45 percent arrangement.
Then, during the off season they should negotiate for a raise and if they cannot arrive at terms they can strike prior to the start of next season. The drivers in effect acted like a union and and unions, with the exception of some wildcat strikes, do not walk out during the course of their contract.
Another point, which poses a future problem, is that the drivers are only demanding the 50 percent at De Pere and Shawano, where the crowds are mostly capacity.
Added Incentive
To their credit is the fact that they are not striking for more money at the Outagamie County Fairgrounds in Seymour, which is not drawing the big crowds.
Seymour promoters have been paying as much as 55 to 60 percent of the gate, instead of the usual 45 as an added incentive to get the drivers to compete.
When and if Seymour starts packing the stands, the promoters will probably drop to 45 percent to recover the money they are currently losing in added purses.
Will the drivers stay at 45 percent in Seymour and give the promoters time to recoup their losses? Or will they forget what has been given them above what they had coming and demand the full 50 percent right away?
Only time will tell.