LOCAL OFFICERS
Local officers are elected by the entirety of NewsGuild of New York membership every three years, per the Local's bylaws. These six positions — President, Secretary-Treasurer, Local Chair, First Vice Chair, Second Vice Chair, and Third Vice Chair — along with additional rank-and-file members are elected to serve as and on the Executive Board, the Guild's governing body. These elected officials work together to represent the best interests of members and the Local.
All Local-elected officials are sworn in and are expected to attend the Guild's monthly Executive Committee meetings to discuss matter pertinent to the Local.
President: The President serves as the executive officer of the NewsGuild of New York. They are directly responsible for the union's administrative duties, collective bargaining, contract enforcement, mobilizing, and organizing efforts, working in tandem with the elected Executive Committee.
Secretary-Treasurer: This role is the custodian of all the Local's funds. They are responsible for all financial records for the Guild. The Secretary-Treasurer gives regular financial reports to both the Executive Committee during monthly meetings and to the membership at large twice annually at Membership Meetings. While this voluntary role does not receive a salary, it does receive a stipend from the Local.
Local Chair: The Local Chairperson acts as both the head of the Executive Committee and as the chairperson of the Committee on Finance and Administration. This role helps serve as a liaison on the Executive Committee, working closely with the President and the rest of the elected officials to ensure that the bylaws are being followed, members' concerns are being heard, and the Guild's finances are transparent and accurately reported to the Committee.
UNIT OFFICERS
Unit Officers are elected specifically by the members of that workplace. For instance, members at New York Magazine solely vote on their Unit Council officers. The Unit Council (UC) is the elected governing body of a specific unit. Consisting of a Unit Chair, First Vice Chair, and Secretary (although some Units may decide to have more vice chairs), the UC monitors issues, communicates with membership, and ensures that the Local is responsive to the needs of members in the unit. The UC serves several core functions, including mobilization and engagement; representation for members; communication; and bargaining the unit's contract.
Unit Chair: This role is the top leadership position of the Unit Council. They are often the point-person for bringing things to Guild Reps’ attention, assisting other members, and being the eyes and ears of the Local on the ground. They are empowered to create and appoint members to other Guild committees, including the bargaining committee. Unit Chairs often interact with management. When they serve as a Guild representative, they are on an equal footing with management, and not acting as an employee or subordinate.
Unit Chairs also represent their workplace on the Local’s Executive Committee, which is the NewsGuild of New York’s governing body and approves financial and policy decisions for the local overall.
First Vice Chair: They serve as the "right hand" to the Unit Chair. The First Vice Chair may temporarily fill in for the absent Unit Chair, often assisting with several of the duties described above.
Secretary: The Secretary takes minutes at Unit Council and unit membership meetings and edits the shop's newsletter that is distributed to members.
Vice Chair: Vice Chairs are members-at-large of the Unit Council. The number of Vice Chairs varies from workplace to workplace and is at the discretion of the unit. Vice Chairs often represent a cross-section of the unit, ensuring that the workplace's many departments are represented on the UC.