Most folks are not usually interested in a six-hour zoom call, but the 2021 NewsGuild-CWA Sector Conference was a lively affair, having been moved to a digital conference along with the CWA Convention, which began today.
Continue reading “2021 Sector Conference adopted sweeping constitutional changes, looks to future”
During Saturday’s Sector Conference, I revealed the new logo design selected by the Executive Council to be our official logo going forward.
The new logo is forward-looking while paying tribute to our proud history. Several features of the new image are adapted from logos the Guild used decades ago.
Continue reading “New logo keeps a watchful eye on our democracies”Subscribe to the Guild’s newsletter here.
This Saturday we’ve got the 2021 NewsGuild Sector Conference. It’s our biennial conference where elected delegates set policies for our union, pass resolutions, amend our constitution and nominate officers.
Because of the pandemic it made sense to move this year’s conference to a virtual one and it will get started at 10 a.m. ET Saturday. I expect about 100 folks from all over the NewsGuild to attend. This year’s primary agenda will focus on some major changes to our constitution governing our elections. These proposed improvements will make sure that every member gets notified of their ability to be eligible to vote and that members get ballots delivered by mail until the U.S. Dept. of Labor allows electronic voting.
Continue reading “Newsletter: Constitutional improvements in front of Saturday’s Sector Conference”Subscribe to the Guild’s newsletter here.
That’s the message to Gannett CEO Mike Reed on the subject of unpaid overtime at the nation’s biggest news chain.
We launched an investigation after members first tweeted about the practice inside Gannett and a top editor tweeted, “Every business exploits the young – it’s called gaining experience, and I don’t regret it one bit.” He later added, “Prove yourself and they’ll pay you.”
In my email to Reed, I let him know about the investigation and urged him to launch his own investigation, end the culture of exploitation and agree to the common-sense contract proposals advanced by journalists at Gannett.
Continue reading “Newsletter: Journalists have receipts”
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There is some big U.S. legislative news this week: the jobs tax credit in the Local Journalism Sustainability Act made it into the House Ways and Means Committee recommendations for reconciliation. This means it has a very good chance of becoming law.
Continue reading “Newsletter: This Gannett boss thinks working for free builds character”
This week the AFL-CIO endorsed the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, a bill that would provide tax credits to help subscribers, local businesses and, most importantly, local journalists.
Continue reading “AFL-CIO backs important measure to Save Local News”
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The NewsGuild and four other media unions urged President Biden to support journalists, support staff and families who are desperately trying to flee Afghanistan in a letter sent on Aug. 23.
“We have watched the rapid deterioration of the situation inside Afghanistan with great concern for everyone involved,” we said.
Continue reading “Newsletter: Supporting Afghan journalists and rallying for local news”
Subscribe to the Guild’s newsletter here.
Hundreds of New York Times tech workers held a work stoppage last week to protest management’s attempts to prevent about one-third of tech employees, including product designers and data analysts, from voting in their upcoming election on union representation. They also protested other unfair labor practices, such as management illegally asking workers their views about unionizing and saying that workers would get more from management if they stopped organizing. I was fired up speaking to the workers at their rally Wednesday. These workers are innovating the future of journalism and they deserve a voice in their workplace!
Continue reading “Newsletter: A lawyer oopsie, a work stoppage and more wins”
Updated: Aug. 4, 2021 4:40 p.m. (with original post below)
For months, our members and our task force were waiting for the arrival of a report from an outside consultant to provide insights on the culture of the Pittsburgh local now and in the past, and offer recommendations for a path forward. The report, which is the result of the listening series conducted by consultant Rebecca Feaster, was originally scheduled to be released today, Wednesday, Aug. 4, as we previously announced in a statement from our task force on Tuesday.
However, there are concerns that certain aspects of the report could potentially reveal people who want to remain anonymous. Our goal is to protect the members involved in this process and make sure their identities are not revealed. At this time, we feel it best to postpone our timeline, including this week’s meetings.
Continue reading “Update on harassment report”
I’m just going to start with some very exciting news: last week our union hit a new record.
More workers have joined our union in 2021 than in any year in recent history. That number stands at more than 1,500 workers across 29 workplaces. It started with journalists at the Loveland Reporter-Herald in Colorado and includes Washington state McClatchy papers, Entertainment Weekly, the New York Daily News, MinnPost, the Kansas City Star, the Atlantic, the ACLU of Missouri and many, many others! See the full list here.
Continue reading “Newsletter: An organizing record!”