MEMBERS ONLY: Rules for Nomination and Election of Delegates to the 2025 TNG Sector Conference and CWA Convention

The 2025 The NewsGuild (TNG) Sector Conference will be August 8-9 in Pittsburgh, PA. It’s our biennial conference where elected delegates set policies, pass resolutions, amend our constitution and nominate TNG officers for our international union.

It precedes the biennial convention of our parent union, the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which this year is August 11-12. Similar to the TNG Sector Conference, delegates to the CWA Convention may set policies, pass resolutions and make amendments. Delegates also hear and resolve final appeals from union members across the country.

As the largest local in TNG, our union The NewsGuild of New York, may nominate and elect up to 13 delegates and 13 alternate delegates to both the Sector Conference and the CWA Convention. 

 

KEY DATES

May 19, 2025 | Deadline for members to be in good standing in order to nominate a delegate or be nominated as a delegate. Unsure of your status? Speak with your unit officers or contact Tim Try, Membership Systems Manager.

May 20, 2025 | Nomination period begins at 5:00 pm EST. See below, Section 4 of the Rules for Nomination and Election, for how to be nominated or make a nomination.

May 26, 2025 | Nomination period ends at 11:59 pm EST.

 

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RULES FOR NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF 13 DELEGATES AND 13 ALTERNATES
TO THE TNG SECTOR CONFERENCE AND TO THE CWA CONVENTION
ADOPTED BY THE NEWSGUILD OF NEW YORK LOCAL ELECTION COMMITTEE, May 15, 2025

The nomination and election to fill 13 positions as Delegates and 13 positions as Alternate Delegates to the 2025 CWA Convention and 13 positions as Delegates and 13 positions as Alternate Delegates to the TNG Sector Conference  shall be conducted in accordance with the Bylaws of The NewsGuild of New York (NYGuild), Federal Law, the TNG Constitution, the CWA Constitution, and these rules adopted by the Local Election Committee on May 15, 2025. 

 

SECTION 1: Officers to be elected 
13 positions as Delegates and 13 positions as Alternate Delegates to the 2025 CWA Convention, and 13 positions as Delegates and 13 positions as Alternate Delegates to the 2025 TNG Sector Conference.

 

SECTION 2: Election Date 
In the event of a contest, an election shall be held entirely by mail among members of the NYGuild, with results to be tallied on a date on or about July 23, 2025, to be selected by the Local Election Committee.

 

SECTION 3: Term of Office 
The term of office shall be co-extensive with the 2025 CWA Convention and 2025 TNG Sector Conference.

 

SECTION 4: Nominations
To be nominated, a member must be in good standing as of May 19, 2025. To be nominated, a member must be nominated by a member who was in good standing as of May 19, 2025. To be nominated, a member’s nomination must receive a second from one member in good standing as of May 19, 2025. Self-nomination is permitted.

Nominations must be made via email, as described here.  Written nominations and seconds must be received by the NYGuild by no earlier than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 20, 2025, (all times in these rules are Eastern Time) and by no later than 11:59 p.m.  on May 26, 2025. Only the following delivery methods for nominations and seconds will be accepted: email. All  nominations and seconds must be delivered to Local Treasurer Anthony Napoli at either of the following email addresses: anapoli@nyguild.org, or treasurer@nyguild.org.

For all nominations, the nominator or his designee must provide Mr. Napoli with an email address and telephone number where the nominated candidate can be reached, and do so by no later than 11:59 p.m. May 26, 2025.

The NYGuild will notify all nominated candidates of their nomination. For a nominated candidate to appear on the ballot, the NYGuild must receive email written confirmation of the candidate’s willingness to run by no later than 11:59 p.m. on May 26, 2025. Such notice shall be provided to Treasurer Napoli.

If, at the close of the period for nominations, 13 or fewer people are nominated for CWA Convention Delegate or Alternate, or 13 or fewer people are nominated for TNG Sector Conference Delegate or Alternate, those people nominated shall be declared elected without contest.

 

Section 5 - Local Election Committee
The election for CWA convention Delegates and Alternate Delegates and the election for TNG Sector Delegates and Alternate Delegates shall be supervised by the Local Election Committee. No candidate may serve on the Local Election Committee.

 

Section 6 - Election Notice
An election notice and mail ballot will be mailed to all NYGuild members not later than a date to be set by the Local Election Committee. 

 

Section 7 - The Ballot

1. The Local Election Committee shall supervise and be responsible for the preparation of the ballot. The ballot shall be arranged so that the voter will have the choice of voting for individual candidates by marking boxes to the left of each candidate’s name.
2. In designing the ballot, the Local Election Committee will place candidate names in a manner chosen by the Local Election Committee consistent with the TNG Constitution, Article XI(5)(d).
3. Slate voting shall be permitted.

 

Section 8 - Voter Eligibility
All members in good standing as of a date to be selected by the Local Election Committee, may vote in the elections covered by these rules. Instructions for members not receiving a ballot on how to obtain a duplicate ballot will be provided on the NYGuild’s website. Challenges to voter eligibility must be presented prior to opening the envelopes.

 

Section 9 - Voting Procedure and Ballot Count

1. The election will be conducted by mail ballot. Subject to the approval of the Local Executive Committee, the Local Election Committee may retain the services of Global Election Services (“GES”) to help with the mailing and counting of election ballots. If retained, GES shall provide services described below.
2. GES, under the supervision of the Local Election Committee, shall mail ballot packages to all members by no later than a date to be set by the Local Election Committee. For a ballot to be counted, a voter must mail the ballot back, in conformity with the voting instructions, so that it is received at the GES Post Office Box by no later than 9:00 AM on a date to be determined by the Local Election Committee.
3. The ballots shall be collected at the GES Post Office box by no earlier than 9:00 AM on a date to be determined by the Local Election Committee. At least one representative of the Election Committee, and interested candidates and/or their observers may accompany the GES personnel when they empty the GES Post Office Box.
4. GES, under the supervision of the Local Election Committee, will count the ballots. The count will continue until completed. The Election Committee will supervise the process to ensure that only ballots of eligible members are counted, using an up-to-date eligibility list. Candidates and their observers may be present throughout the counting process and observe the counting process, provided, however, that candidates and observers shall be required to observe all rules of decorum and procedure that may be set by the Local Election Committee. The Local Election Committee may limit the number of observers if there are more designated observers and candidates than space permits.
5. All issues regarding the intent of a voter shall be resolved by the Local Election Committee.
6. Should two return envelopes be found from the same voter (an original and a replacement) the ballot in the later envelope shall be counted.
7. Ballots not in an official return envelope shall not be counted.
8. Ballots returned to a location other than the GES Post Office Box shall not be counted.
9. Ballots returned without a secrecy sleeve will be counted.
10. If a ballot contains votes for more candidates for an office than there are positions to be filled by election, the ballot for that office will not be counted.
11. If more than one ballot arrives in the same mailed return envelope, even in separate secrecy sleeves, no ballot in the envelope will be counted.
12. The results shall be tentatively certified by the Chairperson of the Local Election Committee and immediately sent to the Local Secretary-Treasurer. Absent a challenge to the election, the tentative certification shall become final ten days thereafter.
13. The ballot envelope shall contain an instruction slip. It shall state, in sum and substance: “After marking your vote on the enclosed ballot, fold it face in. Do not otherwise mark the ballot. Do not put your name or any other identification on the ballot. Place the folded ballot in the privacy sleeve. Do not sign or otherwise mark the smaller envelope containing the ballot. A ballot with any identifying markings will not be counted. Place the privacy sleeve containing the ballot in the addressed return envelope. Sign and print your name on the designated lines in the addressed return (outer) envelope (hand written and hand printed signatures only). Only ballots in the official return envelopes in the Post Office Box by designated due date will be counted.”

 

SECTION 10: Election Disputes
Disputes regarding the elections referred to in these rules shall be decided by the Local Election Committee. All election protests and appeals of any nature must be in writing and received by the Local Election Committee within ten (10) days of the tentative certification of the results. Such protests should be emailed to Local Election Committee counsel at hkolko@cwsny.com. The Local Election Committee shall rule on any such challenges and shall within twenty (20) days of the tentative certification of the results make a final determination or certification. Appeals from rulings of the Local Election Committee shall be written and made to the Local Executive Committee, and must be received by the Local Executive Committee by no later than within twenty seven (27) days of the tentative certification of the results. Such protests should be emailed to the Local Executive Committee, c/o hkolko@cwsny.com. Appeals from rulings of the Local Executive Committee shall be written and made to the membership of the Local, and must be received no later than thirty four (34) days of the tentative certification of results. Any member with an election protest and appeal must exhaust the remedies available within this section; however, a member who has attempted to exhaust such remedies without obtaining a final decision within sixty (60) days of the tentative certification of results, must, if that member wishes to further appeal, file an appeal in writing in compliance with Article XV(4)(b) of the Constitution of the CWA.

 

SECTION 11: Campaign Procedures
All candidates must be treated equally by the Local regarding the opportunity to campaign. Union and employer resources may not be directly or indirectly used to support the candidacy of any candidate. Union officers and employees may not campaign on time paid for by the union, and members may not campaign on time paid for by the employer. Union members may support the candidate of their choice, and in the exercise of that right, may not be subject to penalty, discipline, or reprisal of any kind by the NYGuild.

 

SECTION 12: Inspection of Membership Lists
Once within 30 days prior to the mailing of ballots, each candidate has the right to inspect a list containing the names and last known addresses of all NYGuild-represented members subject to a collective bargaining agreement. No candidate may photocopy or photograph the list. The list will be maintained at the NYGuild office in New York, New York. Any candidate wishing to inspect the list must contact Anthony Napoli, NYGuild Treasurer at 212-575-1580, to schedule an appointment.

 

SECTION 13: Distribution of Campaign Literature
The NYGuild will comply with reasonable requests by a candidate to distribute campaign literature at the expense of the candidate. Any candidate who wishes to mail campaign literature must contact Jimmy Glover at Westerleigh Press. His e-mail address is  jglover@wpprinting.com and his phone number is 646 996 6428. Payment instructions and terms, prices, and other instructions and requirements will be set and provided by Mr. Glover. Candidates may also send e-mails to the personal e-mail addresses which the NYGuild has. The vendor for this service is AMFAX Corporation. The contact person there is John Petallides. You can reach him at 917-806-3456. His e-mail address is jp@amfax.com. Payment instructions and terms, prices, and other instructions and requirements will be set and provided by Mr. Petallides.

 

SECTION 14: Observers
Each candidate is entitled to have observers present when ballots are stuffed and mailed, picked up, and counted. A candidate may act as her/his own observer.

 

SECTION 15: Preservation of Records
The NYGuild will preserve records of this election for one year.

 

SECTION 16: Notification of Membership
The NYGuild will notify the membership of the results of the elections covered by these rules.

 

Section 17: Interpretation And Application Of These Rules
The interpretation and application of these rules, and the resolution of any other issues pertaining to counting ballots or election procedures, shall be made by the Local Election Committee only.

 

Section 18: Pre-Election Protests
Pre-Election Protests. Any member wishing to file a pre-election protest must submit it in writing to the Local Election Committee by no later than 11:59 p.m., on a date to be determined by the Local Election Committee before the count date. Protests must be submitted via email to: hkolko@cwsny.com. The protestor must specify the basis of the protest. The Local Election Committee has the discretion to defer rulings on pre-election protests until after all ballots have been counted.