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Official Call for the 2021 NewsGuild Sector Conference

Below is the official call to the 2021 NewsGuild Sector Conference, which was emailed to local officers and leaders on Sept. 15, 2021.

The 81st convening of The NewsGuild-CWA Sector Conference will begin at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, Oct.16, 2021, and continue until business is complete.

Due to emergency conditions in New Orleans, La. and public health concerns, the Sector Conference will be held by teleconference using Zoom. All scheduled business will be conducted digitally.

Key jobs provision of Local Journalism Sustainability Act is recommended for reconciliation

The jobs tax credit in the Local Journalism Sustainability Act was included in the House Ways and Means Committee’s recommendations for reconciliation, NewsGuild President Jon Schleuss reported to union members this week. “This means it has a very good chance of becoming law,” he said.

Three new Guild units celebrate Labor Day with first contracts

Three new Guild units celebrated Labor Day in style this year, winning impressive first contracts. They join a growing list of union members who have won durable workplace protections. A fourth unit negotiated a new contract – but not a first contract – as well.

The ‘shadow bank’ that — with the help of public pension funds — is aiding the destruction of local news

Editor’s Note: This article appears in full on Nieman Lab.org.

To the ancient Greeks, Cerberus was the hound of Hades, a multi-headed dog with a serpent’s tail who kept souls from escaping the underworld. His eyes burned with fiery lava and he vomited bile.

The canine’s namesake, Cerberus Capital Management, is a private equity firm that, like Alden Global Capital, specializes in acquiring distressed businesses — and, alongside Alden, it is now in the business of devouring newsrooms in the name of profit.

Cerberus was Alden’s financial backer for its recent takeover of Tribune Publishing, but the two secretive companies have a shared history that goes back to at least 2015.

AFL-CIO backs important measure to Save Local News

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.

Journalists at American Independent are forming a union

Journalists at the American Independent, a digital publication that covers issues of interest to progressives, announced they are unionizing on Sept. 2.

“Our industry is extremely rocky,” said Casey Quinlan, who covers LGBTQ issues for the organization. “We need to know that we have a tool to organize for ourselves.

Strike threat forces Fortune management to postpone prestigious conference

Fortune magazine has postponed its prestigious CEO Initiative conference in response to a strike threat by union members who are frustrated by a lack of progress on contract negotiations.

Newsletter: Supporting Afghan journalists and rallying for local news

Subscribe to the Guild’s newsletter here.

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.

CWA Convention, NewsGuild Sector Conference to be held virtually

The CWA and NewsGuild announced Thursday that the 2021 CWA Convention and NewsGuild Sector Conference will be held virtually rather than in person.