Author: Scott Stephens

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Former NewsGuild leader Jack Hagan dies

Longtime NewsGuild leader Jack Hagan saw his share of negotiations, but one bargaining session stood out.

Jack and his Northeast Ohio Newspaper Guild colleagues were huddled in a conference room at The Plain Dealer, poring over management’s latest proposal.

Minutes before management returned to the room, a member of the union’s bargaining team, struggling with the flu, threw up in a wastebasket.

Jack didn’t miss a beat.

“Here’s what we think of your proposal,” he told his startled adversaries.

Jack, whose sharp wit, ferocious talent and unfailing moral compass influenced generations of NewsGuild members, died October 9 after a long battle with Lewy body dementia. He was 76.

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Guild loses a hero: Hannah Jo Rayl

Hannah Jo Rayl always believed that those who had the least deserved a little bit more. During her long and storied career as an international representative for The Newspaper Guild (now The NewsGuild) and later as executive director of the Northeast Ohio Newspaper Guild, Rayl combined keen intelligence, unlimited energy and a righteous moral center to improve the lives of those she represented. 

Rayl, of Hartville, Ohio, died Jan. 27, six days after her 85th birthday. She is survived by her brother, Paul, and sisters Ruth and Joyce, as well as generations of media workers she mentored, befriended and represented. A memorial service will be held at a later date.

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