November 19, 2008

 

Guild creates organizing fund

for long-term recruiting effort

 

With the economy shrinking and the news business in turmoil, the Newspaper Guild of New York on Tuesday created an organizing fund aimed at increasing its presence in the media-dense city and securing its future as an advocate for news employees and their craft.

 

The Local’s policy-making Executive Committee voted unanimously at its November meeting to launch the Organizing Fund with an initial $100,000.

 

The Executive Committee also agreed to fund its organizing program with $60,000 a year, starting in 2009, that will be diverted from monthly contributions that have long been made to the Local’s Emergency Fund, which the committee agreed was adequately funded for now.

 

The Local is planning to hire a full-time organizer and intends to seek additional funding from its parent union, the Communications Workers of America, and other sources.

 

The creation of the Organizing Fund and the financial commitment to it mark the first time in recent history that the New York Guild has dedicated itself to organizing on a sustained basis. In past efforts, including successful drives like the one that brought union benefits to Hudson News workers, organizers were hired on a project-by-project basis.

 

“This is going to be an enormous undertaking,” said New York Guild President Bill O’Meara. “But we’re not going to have much of a future if we don’t grow. There’s a huge frontier of nonunion media workers in New York who’d like better working lives. And that’s what we’re here for.”

 

The Local’s move to set up a permanent organizing infrastructure comes amid improved chances for enactment of the Employee Free Choice Act, which has the support of President-elect Barack Obama and majorities in both houses of the incoming Congress. The act would make it easier and less risky for workers to organize by enabling them to get a union simply by having a majority of them sign cards or a petition declaring their support for one, instead of going through a lengthy and often-contentious election.

 

One last time…

Employee free choice

is just one click away

 

This month’s election results increase the chances that the Employee Free Choice Act – and the empowerment it will bring to workers who want a union – will become the law of the land. But it still faces a tough battle. So, a strong show of support from people like you may make all the difference.

 

That’s why we decided to make one more appeal – our last one, we promise – to ask you to join more than 1 million others by showing your support for the Act, if you haven’t already done so.

 

Thousands of Guild members across the country, and nearly one-quarter of our Local’s members, have already signed the labor movement’s million-member petition in support of the Act.

 

You can do it in two minutes. Just CLICK HERE and select “Local 31003.” Your name and the other million will be presented to the new Congress and to President-elect Barack Obama in January.

 

Business groups are already waging a well-funded campaign of distortions against the Employee Free Choice Act. So, it’s important that we remember the facts:

 

n     The Employee Free Choice Act will enable employees who want a union to get one quicker and with less risk.

n     It will give them a choice of simply signing up a majority of their co-workers, or using the current election process.

n     It will assure a first contract for newly organized workers by requiring binding arbitration if there is no agreement.

n     It will penalize employers who break the law.

 

Thanks for all of your help.

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11/19/08