Jon Schleuss | The NewsGuild - TNG-CWA

Newsletter: We are worth more.

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Over the weekend there was devastating news out of Buffalo, N.Y. Ten people were killed and three wounded when a gunman opened fire in a supermarket on Saturday in an act of racist violence. My heart goes out to the people of Buffalo, which is known as the city of good neighbors. I commend the brave reporting by Buffalo Newspaper Guild journalists. Members “jumped into action to faithfully tell the story. It’s a task we will continue to vigorously pursue.”

NewsGuild strongly condemns the killing of Al Jazeera journalist in the West Bank

The NewsGuild-CWA strongly condemns the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, a renowned Palestinian-American reporter for Al Jazeera. Abu Akleh was fatally shot on May 11 while covering an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank. The network reported that she was targeted by Israeli forces and shot in the head. Witnesses reported that she was wearing a press vest when she was shot.

Congrats, Pulitzer winners and finalists!

On behalf of more than 26,000 members of The NewsGuild-CWA, we extend heartfelt congratulations to the winners and finalists of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize Awards. We’re especially proud of NewsGuild members who were honored for their outstanding journalism, listed below.

Newsletter: Packing bargaining to deliver a message

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Workers at the Chicago Reader took to the streets to save their publication. Last Tuesday they tweeted “We won,” after co-owner Len Goodman stepped down, ending his attempt to delay the publication’s transition to a nonprofit.

Newsletter: Could a Pulitzer do it?

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First, I hope you have been staying safe! After about two years of avoiding COVID, I came down with it along with several others (in unrelated gatherings). The pandemic is still very much here. Please take steps to get vaccinated, boosted, test yourself regularly if you can and wear a mask if you’re around other people indoors. I luckily healed quickly, but know many who are still suffering from the lingering effects of the virus. So, please take care of yourself and each other.

Could the chance to win a Pulitzer motivate news organizations to be transparent about diversity – or the lack of diversity – in their newsrooms? That’s the question Meredith Clark, Sisi Wei, I and others have been asking for awhile.

Newsletter: We’re sending 15 Guild members to Labor Notes — could you be one?

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We are sending 15 Guild members to Labor Notes 2022. The conference will be a great chance for you to meet other activists and leaders in the Guild and across the entire labor movement. It is extremely inspiring talking with workers from different industries about how they build power through collective actions and a democratic union. It’s set to run from June 17-19 in Rosemont, right outside Chicago. Many Guild members will be there and if you’d like help going, we’ll cover the flight, registration and hotel for 15 members. Complete this form by Monday, April 18.

Danielle Newsome at a rally in Philadelphia in front of city hall

Welcome Danielle Newsome, the Guild’s newest staff rep

I’m so excited to write and tell you that Danielle Newsome has joined the Guild as a staff representative! Before joining the Guild, Danielle worked for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, bringing cases against employers that mistreated workers. Before that she was at a union-side labor law firm with ties to CWA District 2-13 and she was a former Guild member when she worked at the Health Professionals and Allied Employees, which is a bargaining unit at the Washington-Baltimore News Guild.

I talked with Danielle and want to share our conversation so you could get to know her.

Meet Hil O’Connell, the Guild’s newest organizer

I’m thrilled to announce that Hil O’Connell has joined our union as the latest organizer in the Guild! Before joining us on staff, Hil was a TNG member organizer — part of a program with dozens of Guild activists who help mobilize current members and organize new ones. They were also part of the successful effort to unionize AccessMatters, a nonprofit organization based in Philadelphia that promotes reproductive and sexual health.

I talked with Hil and we wanted to share our conversation so you could get to know them.

Newsletter: Miami walks out, Buzzfeed authorizes a strike and Condé union gets bigger

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Journalists at Condé Nast are forming a company-wide union that, once certified, will cover more than 500 media employees! The Condé Nast Union will represent workers at the firm’s iconic magazines, including Vogue, Bon Appétit, Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, and GQ. It will be one of the biggest units in recent NewsGuild history.