[3][1] The strike occurred due to the three newspapers each issuing new work rulings which significantly decreased requirements concerning the level of staffing.
[3][1] During negotiations, Theodore W. Kheel served as an unofficial mediator between the two sides[3] and played an important role the progress of the talks.
[6] Contrary to initial expectations, New York businesses such as restaurants, theaters, hotels, and retail stores did not suffer during the strike, finding alternate ways to advertise their presence and offerings.
[3][1] In particular, it was not a clear victory for management as had happened with the end of the 1975–1976 Washington Post pressmen's strike,[3] a result the unions were striving to avoid in this case.
[1] In the longer term, the strike coincided with the advent of technological changes that initially took away the pressmen's jobs via newsroom automation and later undermined the economic model of the newspaper industry altogether.