The New York Guild’s Local Administrative Committee has selected
New York Times Unit Chairperson Lena Williams and El Diario Unit Chairperson
Oscar Hernandez as the winners of the Newspaper Guild of New York Tom Keenan
Service Award for 2004. This is
only the second time since the Keenan Award was created in 1999 that more than
one person has been awarded the annual prize.
Hernandez and Williams, who have served as Guild unit officers for
several years, were chosen from a record number of Guild activists who had been
nominated by fellow members. The
Keenan Award was established by the Local Executive Committee in order to
recognize individuals who have, during the past year, “performed above and
beyond the call of duty in service to the New York Local, and best exemplify the
ideals of a true labor leader in the spirit of Tom Keenan.”
The award is named for Keenan, former Chairperson of the New York Times
Guild unit, who passed away in 2000. He
had served in that capacity longer than anyone else.
“Lena and Oscar have each been a great asset in their respective
units,” said New York Guild President Barry Lipton.
“This past year, they both served their members with great distinction
in helping to lead difficult negotiations to very successful conclusions,” he
added.
“This year, the Local Administrative Committee found it very hard to
pick just one winner of the Keenan Award,” said New York Guild
Secretary-Treasurer Bill O’Meara. “We
received many nominations of deserving individuals, but the Committee was
unanimous in deciding that Lena and Oscar both really deserved the honor,”
O’Meara added.
Williams and Hernandez will be presented with their award at a special
“70th Anniversary of the Guild” membership meeting and
celebration that is now scheduled for Monday, March 29. More information on this
special event will be announced in the near future. Reports on the upcoming
Guild Sector Conference and CWA Convention will also be given at the meeting. We hope you’ll be able to attend.
Each year, as mandated by the Guild International, the ceiling is
raised on the maximum weekly salary to which dues are fully applied, in all
Guild Locals. Effective March 1,
2004, that ceiling is being raised to a top salary of $1,895 per week.
This change could have been made effective last October 1st,
however implementation of the change was delayed until this time.
Few members of the New York Guild earn more than $1,895 per week and,
ordinarily, almost all Local 3 members will continue to pay the same amount of
dues they pay now, with no increase.
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2/25/04