Thanksgiving and the holiday season it kicks off are a time to give thanks and appreciate friends and family. I'm in sunny Goleta, spending time with my family, and I'm thankful for that. But I wanted to take a couple of moments to say thanks to my union family.
And I really do consider it a family of sorts, though sometimes a dysfunctional one, like most families. We care about each other, we help each other, we fight for what's best for us. And we support each other, especially when times are tough, which they've certainly been lately.
There are endless numbers of examples, so I won't single anyone out. But thanks to all the Guild staff, officers and activists. Enjoy the turkey and, especially, the pie.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Twisted logic from Forbes
Even journalists, well-known for our mathematical inabilities, can figure out this word problem. Let's say you have $1,000 you're saving for a new laptop. It gets stolen, leaving you with nothing. So you work a lot of overtime -- putting it down on your timecard (hint-hint). Your long hours and hard work pays off, and you earn $2,000. So, the question is: How much did you earn? The answer, of course, is $2,000.
But a writer from Forbes would disagree. In a recent article about The Newspaper Guild (check it out via the Media Workers website), James Erik Abels downplays the magnitude of the Bay Area News Group -- East Bay organizing campaign. In an interview, I laid out the history of the BANG campaign, starting with the Singleton purchase of the Contra Costa Newspapers and the subsequent decision to form BANG East Bay and withdraw its recognition of the Guild contract.
To Abels, that somehow means that the accomplishment of organizing BANG's 208 members wasn't as significant as it seems. To me, that doesn't make sense mathematically: We gained 208 members where we had zero.
But it also ignores that the Contra Costa Times was a long-time non-union (and anti-union) paper that unions had eyed for years. And that the organizing campaign was driven in large part by a desire to maintain journalistic quality. And that nobody in the newspaper industry (and especially at Media News) ever expected it to succeed.
Abels does quote me as saying that we're receiving a lot of organizing inquiries, though he doesn't mention my statement that it's because journalists are getting fed up with the steady decline in staffing and quality, and the failures of newspaper management to try any strategy other than slashing jobs. (Now there's a story for a good business magazine).
The gist of the article is that the Guild is struggling to survive. Being in a union has always meant struggling, and that's never been more true than in the past decade of a hostile National Labor Relations Board and Department of Labor. (Fortunately, that should change soon).
But we're not struggling to survive as a union (Cue the Gloria Gaynor music here). Sure, times are tough, and yes, we're losing members to layoffs. But we're organizing, we're adapting to changing times and techologies, we're exploring (and getting involved in) alternative ownership models, we're planning for our future.
Don't write The Newspaper Guild off just yet.
But a writer from Forbes would disagree. In a recent article about The Newspaper Guild (check it out via the Media Workers website), James Erik Abels downplays the magnitude of the Bay Area News Group -- East Bay organizing campaign. In an interview, I laid out the history of the BANG campaign, starting with the Singleton purchase of the Contra Costa Newspapers and the subsequent decision to form BANG East Bay and withdraw its recognition of the Guild contract.
To Abels, that somehow means that the accomplishment of organizing BANG's 208 members wasn't as significant as it seems. To me, that doesn't make sense mathematically: We gained 208 members where we had zero.
But it also ignores that the Contra Costa Times was a long-time non-union (and anti-union) paper that unions had eyed for years. And that the organizing campaign was driven in large part by a desire to maintain journalistic quality. And that nobody in the newspaper industry (and especially at Media News) ever expected it to succeed.
Abels does quote me as saying that we're receiving a lot of organizing inquiries, though he doesn't mention my statement that it's because journalists are getting fed up with the steady decline in staffing and quality, and the failures of newspaper management to try any strategy other than slashing jobs. (Now there's a story for a good business magazine).
The gist of the article is that the Guild is struggling to survive. Being in a union has always meant struggling, and that's never been more true than in the past decade of a hostile National Labor Relations Board and Department of Labor. (Fortunately, that should change soon).
But we're not struggling to survive as a union (Cue the Gloria Gaynor music here). Sure, times are tough, and yes, we're losing members to layoffs. But we're organizing, we're adapting to changing times and techologies, we're exploring (and getting involved in) alternative ownership models, we're planning for our future.
Don't write The Newspaper Guild off just yet.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
It's time to vote...
...but I'm not talking about the Presidential race.
By now, most of you have probably received ballots in the mail for the proposed merger of the Northern California Media Workers Guild (that's us) and the San Jose Newspaper Guild.
A lot of people have asked me today how they should vote on the proposal. I'm recommending a "yes" vote, and so has our Representative Assembly, the local's leadership. The San Jose local approved the merger on Friday. So, it's up to us.
Why vote "yes?" Put simply, there's strength in numbers and strength in unity. This merger will give us both. If it passes, all of the Bay Area's best newspapers will become part of the California Media Guild (our proposed new name) along with California's court interpreters (already part of our local). It will also make it easier for the Bay Area News Group--East Bay and the Mercury News to work together to get fair deals from Dean Singleton's MediaNews.
Please join me in voting YES on the Guild merger proposal.
(Questions? A merger agreement was included with the ballot, but more information is available on the local Web site. More questions? Shoot me an e-mail at CTUAN@aol.com or call me at 510-612-1027.)
In solidarity,
Michael Cabanatuan
President
Northern California Media Workers Guild
By now, most of you have probably received ballots in the mail for the proposed merger of the Northern California Media Workers Guild (that's us) and the San Jose Newspaper Guild.
A lot of people have asked me today how they should vote on the proposal. I'm recommending a "yes" vote, and so has our Representative Assembly, the local's leadership. The San Jose local approved the merger on Friday. So, it's up to us.
Why vote "yes?" Put simply, there's strength in numbers and strength in unity. This merger will give us both. If it passes, all of the Bay Area's best newspapers will become part of the California Media Guild (our proposed new name) along with California's court interpreters (already part of our local). It will also make it easier for the Bay Area News Group--East Bay and the Mercury News to work together to get fair deals from Dean Singleton's MediaNews.
Please join me in voting YES on the Guild merger proposal.
(Questions? A merger agreement was included with the ballot, but more information is available on the local Web site. More questions? Shoot me an e-mail at CTUAN@aol.com or call me at 510-612-1027.)
In solidarity,
Michael Cabanatuan
President
Northern California Media Workers Guild
Thursday, October 16, 2008
We're ba-ack...and so is Kathleen: with an important message
After a longer than planned summer break (Well, hey, it still feels like summer), it's time to knuckle down and get back to posting.
Our first post is a guest post (Yeah, we're easing our way back into this blogging thing) from esteemed Chronicle ex-unit chair and researcher extraordinaire Kathleen Rhodes. We miss you, Kathleen.
A Short Note from Kathleen Rhodes
Please vote NO on Proposition 8. Sometimes the political is personal. Proposition 8is an assault on my civil rights; it will eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry. The California Supreme Court this year pointed out that separate is not equal. Prop 8 is about fear, not about fact.
I have always believed in fairness and even if I were straight I would still be against Prop 8 – it is an attempt to write discriminatory language into the state constitution.
In my opinion, the people pushing Prop 8 are doing so out of both hate and fear. They are asking the voters of California to change the constitution to take away the right to marry from one group.
This proposition is not about the church-sanctioned marriage; it is about changing the state constitution to discriminate against gays and lesbian in committed relationships who want to marry. The proponents are trying to convince the people of California that they know what is best for everyone. These are the folks who want all of us to look, feel, and think like they do or else.
They are spending lots of money to impose their particular views on the rest of society.
Voting no on Proposition 8 continues California’s tradition of inclusion. We celebrate our diversity, proposition 8 is trying to destroy that.
This is supposed to be a short note, so I will stop now. Please feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions on Prop 8. This hurtful and hateful initiative needs to be defeated. I am voting no on proposition 8. Please join me.
Thank you,
Kathleen Rhodes
rhodeskat@sbcglobal.net
Our first post is a guest post (Yeah, we're easing our way back into this blogging thing) from esteemed Chronicle ex-unit chair and researcher extraordinaire Kathleen Rhodes. We miss you, Kathleen.
A Short Note from Kathleen Rhodes
Please vote NO on Proposition 8. Sometimes the political is personal. Proposition 8is an assault on my civil rights; it will eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry. The California Supreme Court this year pointed out that separate is not equal. Prop 8 is about fear, not about fact.
I have always believed in fairness and even if I were straight I would still be against Prop 8 – it is an attempt to write discriminatory language into the state constitution.
In my opinion, the people pushing Prop 8 are doing so out of both hate and fear. They are asking the voters of California to change the constitution to take away the right to marry from one group.
This proposition is not about the church-sanctioned marriage; it is about changing the state constitution to discriminate against gays and lesbian in committed relationships who want to marry. The proponents are trying to convince the people of California that they know what is best for everyone. These are the folks who want all of us to look, feel, and think like they do or else.
They are spending lots of money to impose their particular views on the rest of society.
Voting no on Proposition 8 continues California’s tradition of inclusion. We celebrate our diversity, proposition 8 is trying to destroy that.
This is supposed to be a short note, so I will stop now. Please feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions on Prop 8. This hurtful and hateful initiative needs to be defeated. I am voting no on proposition 8. Please join me.
Thank you,
Kathleen Rhodes
rhodeskat@sbcglobal.net
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Local makes big BANG at CWA convention
Our local, the Northern California Media Workers Guild, is a small piece of the 700,000-member Communications Workers of America. But Local 39521 (that's us) played a big role in last week's 70th annual CWA convention in Las Vegas -- from start to finish (literally).
Local vice president Silvia Barden (president of our court interpreters unit)opened the convention by singing the national anthem. And, yes, she hit all the high notes and remembered all the words).
During the convention, our local received awards for best local Web site (the judges liked the RSS feeds and blogs as well as the clean, crisp design)and an organizing award for the One Big BANG campaign. The YouTube video of the victory party was shown on two big video screens to kick off the awards.
But the best part of the convention came near the end, when I had the opportunity to bring the BANG-East Bay organizing committee co-chairs Sara Steffens, Karl Fischer and Michael Manekin onto the convention floor and introduce them. They were greeted with a standing ovation and raucous applause.
After the convention, they met with local leaders from throughout The Newspaper Guild to share the details of their campaign. The heroes' welcome continued through the evening with people welcoming them to the union and, rumor has it, buying them a few congratulatory beverages.
The bad news of the BANG layoffs came two days later, but I hope the warm embrace from the Guild and CWA will provide comfort and support, and remind the BANG-EB folks that they're part of the union family now.
Local vice president Silvia Barden (president of our court interpreters unit)opened the convention by singing the national anthem. And, yes, she hit all the high notes and remembered all the words).
During the convention, our local received awards for best local Web site (the judges liked the RSS feeds and blogs as well as the clean, crisp design)and an organizing award for the One Big BANG campaign. The YouTube video of the victory party was shown on two big video screens to kick off the awards.
But the best part of the convention came near the end, when I had the opportunity to bring the BANG-East Bay organizing committee co-chairs Sara Steffens, Karl Fischer and Michael Manekin onto the convention floor and introduce them. They were greeted with a standing ovation and raucous applause.
After the convention, they met with local leaders from throughout The Newspaper Guild to share the details of their campaign. The heroes' welcome continued through the evening with people welcoming them to the union and, rumor has it, buying them a few congratulatory beverages.
The bad news of the BANG layoffs came two days later, but I hope the warm embrace from the Guild and CWA will provide comfort and support, and remind the BANG-EB folks that they're part of the union family now.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
One Big BANG-up job -- We Won!
Yeah, that's right -- we won. The journalists of the Bay Area News Group voted to establish a new unit of the Northern California Media Workers Guild, TNG/CWA Local 39521. Read the details at www.onebigbang.org or www.mediaworkers.org.
Now, a message to the folks from BANG-EB:
Congratulations. Welcome (or welcome back) to The Newspaper Guild. We're glad to have you, and think you'll be glad you chose to join us.
But most of all, we'd like to say "thank you." Your incredible campaign and the election results have inspired and energized more of your fellow journalists and union activists than you'll ever know. You've reminded many of us why we became journalists and union activists in the first place. You've provided a spark of light in the darkness enveloping the newspaper industry.
Yes, there's lots of hard work ahead -- like, say, bargaining a contract -- and we hope you will all stay involved, as we said during the campaign. Really, it wasn't just campaign propaganda.
But, for now, it's time to celebrate.
Now, a message to the folks from BANG-EB:
Congratulations. Welcome (or welcome back) to The Newspaper Guild. We're glad to have you, and think you'll be glad you chose to join us.
But most of all, we'd like to say "thank you." Your incredible campaign and the election results have inspired and energized more of your fellow journalists and union activists than you'll ever know. You've reminded many of us why we became journalists and union activists in the first place. You've provided a spark of light in the darkness enveloping the newspaper industry.
Yes, there's lots of hard work ahead -- like, say, bargaining a contract -- and we hope you will all stay involved, as we said during the campaign. Really, it wasn't just campaign propaganda.
But, for now, it's time to celebrate.
Monday, June 9, 2008
One Big Week for the Guild
This is a big week for our union -- One Big WEEK, as our BANG organizing committee might say. For our local, for the San Jose local and for the international Newspaper Guild. And for journalism and journalists throughout the Bay Area.
On Friday, journalists working for the Bay Area News Group -- East Bay (BANG-EB in Singleton parlance) will vote in an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board whether or not to join the Guild.
This is not the typical union campaign. Many of the BANG journalists were members of our local, as employees of ANG Newspapers until last August, when Dean Singleton's Denver-based MediaNews withdrew recognition by merging the Oakland Tribune and other ANG papers with the Contra Costa Times and its affiliated papers.
But instead of giving up and giving in, our members joined with Times employees and formed an organizing campaign with the moniker One Big BANG. Last month they submitted cards representing a majority of eligible employees to qualify for a union election.
As expected, BANG management has hired consultants and lawyers and concocted a campaign to convince their employees to vote against the union. While we expect they've done a good job of making their case, we know that journalists are smart enough to dispassionately analyze the arguments and figure out what's true and what's not.
And, of course, we hope they'll vote YES!
This is a big deal for all of us. A victory at BANG-EB will make us all stronger. It will form a solid cluster of newspaper unions in the Bay Area and enable us to work together to keep journalism strong in the face of the seemingly endless cuts.
If you know anyone at BANG-East Bay, give them a call, drop them an e-mail, take them out to lunch, and let them know why joining the Guild makes sense. Assure them that joining the Guild doesn't create a combative newsroom and doesn't prevent you from interacting professionally or even socially with your bosses.
And if you haven't signed the online petition supporting the campaign yet, please go to http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/support-journalists-for-quality-and-fair-deal NOW.
On Friday, journalists working for the Bay Area News Group -- East Bay (BANG-EB in Singleton parlance) will vote in an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board whether or not to join the Guild.
This is not the typical union campaign. Many of the BANG journalists were members of our local, as employees of ANG Newspapers until last August, when Dean Singleton's Denver-based MediaNews withdrew recognition by merging the Oakland Tribune and other ANG papers with the Contra Costa Times and its affiliated papers.
But instead of giving up and giving in, our members joined with Times employees and formed an organizing campaign with the moniker One Big BANG. Last month they submitted cards representing a majority of eligible employees to qualify for a union election.
As expected, BANG management has hired consultants and lawyers and concocted a campaign to convince their employees to vote against the union. While we expect they've done a good job of making their case, we know that journalists are smart enough to dispassionately analyze the arguments and figure out what's true and what's not.
And, of course, we hope they'll vote YES!
This is a big deal for all of us. A victory at BANG-EB will make us all stronger. It will form a solid cluster of newspaper unions in the Bay Area and enable us to work together to keep journalism strong in the face of the seemingly endless cuts.
If you know anyone at BANG-East Bay, give them a call, drop them an e-mail, take them out to lunch, and let them know why joining the Guild makes sense. Assure them that joining the Guild doesn't create a combative newsroom and doesn't prevent you from interacting professionally or even socially with your bosses.
And if you haven't signed the online petition supporting the campaign yet, please go to http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/support-journalists-for-quality-and-fair-deal NOW.
One Big THANKS to Teamsters Local 853
Last week's One Big BBQ for the One Big BANG campaign was One Big SUCCESS. You can read the details on onebigbang.org or mediaworkers.org -- and probably have done that already.
While the food was great, the clown entertaining and the crowd fantastic, One Big HIGHLIGHT was the letter Teamsters Local 853 delivered from its top officer, Rome Aloise.
The letter pledges "the full support of Teamsters Local 853" in the organizing effort and in the recently announced alliance between the Northern California Media Workers Guild and the San Jose Newspaper Guild. It notes that the Teamsters have had productive relationships with Hearst and Media News, and it acknowledges common challenges, including organizing the Transcontinental printing plant being built by the Chronicle.
"Our negotiations and organizing can only be helped if we all stand together," Aloise writes. "I want you to know that Teamsters 853 will stand with your Guild units in seeking a productive future for us all."
Thanks for the support, Rome (and Chuck Davis and Dave Ellis, who showed up in the Big Green Teamstermobile to deliver the letter and some Krispy Kreme donuts). It's good to know you've got our backs. We've got yours, too. We'll support your efforts to keep (or make) the Bay Area's newspapers union papers.
We firmly believe that union papers are better papers. You have our pledge that we'll work with you to ensure that Bay Area newspapers are filled with news and advertising produced by union workers, are printed by union workers and are delivered by union workers.
While the food was great, the clown entertaining and the crowd fantastic, One Big HIGHLIGHT was the letter Teamsters Local 853 delivered from its top officer, Rome Aloise.
The letter pledges "the full support of Teamsters Local 853" in the organizing effort and in the recently announced alliance between the Northern California Media Workers Guild and the San Jose Newspaper Guild. It notes that the Teamsters have had productive relationships with Hearst and Media News, and it acknowledges common challenges, including organizing the Transcontinental printing plant being built by the Chronicle.
"Our negotiations and organizing can only be helped if we all stand together," Aloise writes. "I want you to know that Teamsters 853 will stand with your Guild units in seeking a productive future for us all."
Thanks for the support, Rome (and Chuck Davis and Dave Ellis, who showed up in the Big Green Teamstermobile to deliver the letter and some Krispy Kreme donuts). It's good to know you've got our backs. We've got yours, too. We'll support your efforts to keep (or make) the Bay Area's newspapers union papers.
We firmly believe that union papers are better papers. You have our pledge that we'll work with you to ensure that Bay Area newspapers are filled with news and advertising produced by union workers, are printed by union workers and are delivered by union workers.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Eat a burger, help build the Guild
A lot of you have been asking how you can get more involved in the Guild. A lot of you have been wondering how you can help with the organizing campaign at the Bay Area News Group -- East Bay. The time is now.
An election has been scheduled for June 13 for BANG-EB employees to decide whether they want to join the Guild. Better than a majority have told us they do. But we need your help in combating the anti-union campaign Dean Singleton and his MediaNews managers, attorneys and consultants are spreading.
Your task won't be too tough -- We want you to attend a picnic/BBQ, eat some burgers and chat about the Guild, and why you care about the union. The picnic is May 31 from noon to 4 p.m. at Live Oak Park in Berkeley. Bring the spouse, the kids, the in-laws and any Guild supporters you can round up. A side dish would be nice, too. (But no booze in the park; it's against city ordinance). The Guild will provide the burgers, the drinks and the entertainmment.
In addition to talking up the Guild at the picnic/BBQ, if you know anyone at the Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune or other MediaNews papers in the East Bay, give them a call, drop an e-mail or buy them a cup of coffee or a beer and tell them why it's a good idea to form a union in the newsroom.
Our strength as a union comes from our committed membership. So c'mon out, have a burger or two, and help the folks at BANG win a union election. Their success will make us all stronger.
An election has been scheduled for June 13 for BANG-EB employees to decide whether they want to join the Guild. Better than a majority have told us they do. But we need your help in combating the anti-union campaign Dean Singleton and his MediaNews managers, attorneys and consultants are spreading.
Your task won't be too tough -- We want you to attend a picnic/BBQ, eat some burgers and chat about the Guild, and why you care about the union. The picnic is May 31 from noon to 4 p.m. at Live Oak Park in Berkeley. Bring the spouse, the kids, the in-laws and any Guild supporters you can round up. A side dish would be nice, too. (But no booze in the park; it's against city ordinance). The Guild will provide the burgers, the drinks and the entertainmment.
In addition to talking up the Guild at the picnic/BBQ, if you know anyone at the Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune or other MediaNews papers in the East Bay, give them a call, drop an e-mail or buy them a cup of coffee or a beer and tell them why it's a good idea to form a union in the newsroom.
Our strength as a union comes from our committed membership. So c'mon out, have a burger or two, and help the folks at BANG win a union election. Their success will make us all stronger.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
It's your turn -- vote!
Your chance to affect the future of The Newspaper Guild is here. By now, your ballots have probably arrived in the mail, and you have until April 29 to cast your votes. As one of the only labor unions to allow its members to directly elect its top officers, the Guild is among the most democratic unions in the nation. So take advantage of it.
The Guild international's top three posts are being contested. Incumbent president Linda Foley is being challenged by Secretary-Treasurer Bernie Lunzer. International chairwoman Carol Rothman is running against regional VP Scott Stephens for secretary-treasurer. And Connie Knox, regional VP, is running against Lois Kirkup, regional VP, for international chairwoman.
Regardless of who you choose, I hope you'll vote. Need more information? You can read up on the candidates and campaigns at the following websites -- www.teamguild.org and www.astrongerguild.org -- or in the Guild Reporter.
The Guild international's top three posts are being contested. Incumbent president Linda Foley is being challenged by Secretary-Treasurer Bernie Lunzer. International chairwoman Carol Rothman is running against regional VP Scott Stephens for secretary-treasurer. And Connie Knox, regional VP, is running against Lois Kirkup, regional VP, for international chairwoman.
Regardless of who you choose, I hope you'll vote. Need more information? You can read up on the candidates and campaigns at the following websites -- www.teamguild.org and www.astrongerguild.org -- or in the Guild Reporter.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Cash for college
You know the usual benefits of union membership -- a voice in your workplace, the opportunity to bargain your wages working conditions and benefits, representation when your boss is picking on you.
But there are other benefits as well, including college scholarships for members and their families. The deadline for the Communications Workers of America Joe Beirne Foundation scholarships is coming up at the end of this month.
The Beirne Foundation offers 30 scholarships of up to $3,000 each to members of the Guild and other CWA members and their families. Anyone who receives the scholarship, will receive the money for a second year as well, given satisfactory academic achievement.
Those eligible include spouses, children and grandchildren, including dependents of retired, laid-off, or deceased members. Applicants must be high school graduates or high school students who will graduate during the year in which they apply. Undergraduate and graduate students returning to school are also eligible.
Applications must be filled out online at the Foundation's website: http://www.cwa-union.org/members/beirne/ by April 30. More information is also available at that site.
The scholarship program is funded by donations from CWA locals.
Members of the Northern California Media Workers Guild have been recipients of the scholarships in the recent past. So, yes, it really is worth giving it a shot.
But there are other benefits as well, including college scholarships for members and their families. The deadline for the Communications Workers of America Joe Beirne Foundation scholarships is coming up at the end of this month.
The Beirne Foundation offers 30 scholarships of up to $3,000 each to members of the Guild and other CWA members and their families. Anyone who receives the scholarship, will receive the money for a second year as well, given satisfactory academic achievement.
Those eligible include spouses, children and grandchildren, including dependents of retired, laid-off, or deceased members. Applicants must be high school graduates or high school students who will graduate during the year in which they apply. Undergraduate and graduate students returning to school are also eligible.
Applications must be filled out online at the Foundation's website: http://www.cwa-union.org/members/beirne/ by April 30. More information is also available at that site.
The scholarship program is funded by donations from CWA locals.
Members of the Northern California Media Workers Guild have been recipients of the scholarships in the recent past. So, yes, it really is worth giving it a shot.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
No excuses...
Just an apology for the delay in posting. As promised, here's my report from the Guild Sector Conference (essentially the Guild convention) in Providence, R.I.:
I went to The Newspaper Guild's sector conference in Providence, and, instead of a lousy T-shirt, I ended up getting elected the western regional vice president of the Guild.
Granted, I was elected by acclamation, which is a polite way of saying there was no opposition, that nobody else wanted the job. But I was encouraged to run for the post by some of the people I respect most in the Guild, including both of the candidates for president.
Along with no opposition, there's also no pay. But this is an important position at a critical time for newspapers and for The Newspaper Guild. The West, and particularly the Bay Area, are on the leading edge of change in the media industry, and part of my role will be to present that perspective to the rest of the Guild's leadership.
While changes such as the loss of classified advertising to Craig's List and readers to a variety of online sources slammed us first, I think we'll also be where the answers to those challenges are developed. We're not only the proverbial canaries in the coal mine, we're the prospectors.
But enough about me. Plenty of other things happened at the convention -- and almost all of them involved politics. The race for president between incumbent Linda Foley and challenger and secretary treasurer Bernie Lunzer colored just about everything.
Supporters of Lunzer and his slate hung their convention badges on yellow "A Stronger Guild" lanyards. Backers of Foley sported blue "Team Guild" buttons. Leaflets, stickers and various other campaign items were distributed. Lunzer held a fundraiser in a local restaurant. Foley held a lunch in a downtown hotel. Many clandestine meetings were held in hallways, hotel rooms and restaurants as people plotted.
And while there were a few confrontations and arguments, and a lot of discomfort among convention attendees who like both candidates or are striving to stay neutral, most of the disagreement was tempered with respect. Or maybe it was the beer and cocktails. After all, we're all Guild members first.
Not all the politics were Guild-related. For more than 30 years, the Providence Newspaper Guild has put on the annual Follies -- an event where they mock local politicians and events a la Saturday Night Live. It's a big deal -- attended by most of the state's politicos and power-brokers and filling a cheesy banquet hall with 1,200 people. Humor's never captured well in rewritten accounts, so I won't even try. Let's just say it was funny. And there were two political celebrity sightings:
-- Sen. John Kerry, who did a long standup routine that ended when his endorsement of Obama went on too long, and Clinton supporters started chanting: Hill-a-ry, Hill-a-ry.
-- Chelsea Clinton, who showed up before the show to work the crowd days before the Rhode Island primary. Chelsea was also spotted at the conference hotel, where she stayed, but did not attend the convention.
Another highlight of the convention was the reception given master organizer/mobilizer Carl Hall's presentation on the One Big Bang drive in the East Bay. Fellow delegates were so moved that, without solicitation, they pledged to give about $3,200 to help support the campaign.
I went to The Newspaper Guild's sector conference in Providence, and, instead of a lousy T-shirt, I ended up getting elected the western regional vice president of the Guild.
Granted, I was elected by acclamation, which is a polite way of saying there was no opposition, that nobody else wanted the job. But I was encouraged to run for the post by some of the people I respect most in the Guild, including both of the candidates for president.
Along with no opposition, there's also no pay. But this is an important position at a critical time for newspapers and for The Newspaper Guild. The West, and particularly the Bay Area, are on the leading edge of change in the media industry, and part of my role will be to present that perspective to the rest of the Guild's leadership.
While changes such as the loss of classified advertising to Craig's List and readers to a variety of online sources slammed us first, I think we'll also be where the answers to those challenges are developed. We're not only the proverbial canaries in the coal mine, we're the prospectors.
But enough about me. Plenty of other things happened at the convention -- and almost all of them involved politics. The race for president between incumbent Linda Foley and challenger and secretary treasurer Bernie Lunzer colored just about everything.
Supporters of Lunzer and his slate hung their convention badges on yellow "A Stronger Guild" lanyards. Backers of Foley sported blue "Team Guild" buttons. Leaflets, stickers and various other campaign items were distributed. Lunzer held a fundraiser in a local restaurant. Foley held a lunch in a downtown hotel. Many clandestine meetings were held in hallways, hotel rooms and restaurants as people plotted.
And while there were a few confrontations and arguments, and a lot of discomfort among convention attendees who like both candidates or are striving to stay neutral, most of the disagreement was tempered with respect. Or maybe it was the beer and cocktails. After all, we're all Guild members first.
Not all the politics were Guild-related. For more than 30 years, the Providence Newspaper Guild has put on the annual Follies -- an event where they mock local politicians and events a la Saturday Night Live. It's a big deal -- attended by most of the state's politicos and power-brokers and filling a cheesy banquet hall with 1,200 people. Humor's never captured well in rewritten accounts, so I won't even try. Let's just say it was funny. And there were two political celebrity sightings:
-- Sen. John Kerry, who did a long standup routine that ended when his endorsement of Obama went on too long, and Clinton supporters started chanting: Hill-a-ry, Hill-a-ry.
-- Chelsea Clinton, who showed up before the show to work the crowd days before the Rhode Island primary. Chelsea was also spotted at the conference hotel, where she stayed, but did not attend the convention.
Another highlight of the convention was the reception given master organizer/mobilizer Carl Hall's presentation on the One Big Bang drive in the East Bay. Fellow delegates were so moved that, without solicitation, they pledged to give about $3,200 to help support the campaign.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Off to a good start
Yeah, yeah, I know. It's been a long time since my last post. But that's not because of a lack of anything to write about; it's that I've been too busy to blog. Well, that's my excuse anyway.
I spent the last week of January at a district meeting of the West Coast locals of the Communications Workers of America then filled the better part of the first week of this month with The Newspaper Guild's Media News Project.
While it added up to way too much time spent in chilly windowless meeting rooms, it left me feeling upbeat about organized labor and my fellow union members. It also left me with a nasty cold, but that's not the point of this entry.
At the CWA District 9 meeting, the message was that unions need to change, and are changing: to a scenario where members are more involved and where locals determine the needs, priorities and approaches.
The Media News Project was all about putting that theory into practice: training employees in the Singleton empire to mobilize their co-workers, and in the case of our local, to organize employees at the Bay Area News Group.
A common sentiment ran through both of the meetings: Workers are sick and tired of sitting by and watching their professions deteriorate, and are ready to do something about it.
Nowhere is that more clear than at the Contra Costa Times, where the organizing drive has moved into high gear. If you haven't done it yet, browse the Guild's BANG organizing site , www.onebigbang.org , and read the inspirational messages from the brave employees who are heading the organizing effort.
While the year is young, and the BANG organizing effort has a long way to go, things are definitely off to a good start. It's not too late to join the fun. Contact your unit officers to see how you can get involved.
I spent the last week of January at a district meeting of the West Coast locals of the Communications Workers of America then filled the better part of the first week of this month with The Newspaper Guild's Media News Project.
While it added up to way too much time spent in chilly windowless meeting rooms, it left me feeling upbeat about organized labor and my fellow union members. It also left me with a nasty cold, but that's not the point of this entry.
At the CWA District 9 meeting, the message was that unions need to change, and are changing: to a scenario where members are more involved and where locals determine the needs, priorities and approaches.
The Media News Project was all about putting that theory into practice: training employees in the Singleton empire to mobilize their co-workers, and in the case of our local, to organize employees at the Bay Area News Group.
A common sentiment ran through both of the meetings: Workers are sick and tired of sitting by and watching their professions deteriorate, and are ready to do something about it.
Nowhere is that more clear than at the Contra Costa Times, where the organizing drive has moved into high gear. If you haven't done it yet, browse the Guild's BANG organizing site , www.onebigbang.org , and read the inspirational messages from the brave employees who are heading the organizing effort.
While the year is young, and the BANG organizing effort has a long way to go, things are definitely off to a good start. It's not too late to join the fun. Contact your unit officers to see how you can get involved.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Michelle gets a chill in D.C.
Michelle Devera Louie filed this dispatch from the National Labor College in Silver Spring, Maryland, where she attended the Guild's New Local Officers Seminar.
On Saturday night, my nameless cohort, our St. Louis colleague and I tagged along with the Canadian contingent as they toured the sights of our nation's capital -- National Mall, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Vietnam Wall, Lincoln Memorial -- some I had seen before, some I hadn't.
They are impressively beautiful, but even though all I had done all day was sit in a conference room, I was pretty beat. The topics were heavy (Guild communications, organizing drives, collective bargaining and human rights and equity), and I already felt overwhelmed and terrified of the responsibility at hand. Plus, it was frost-bite cold and I'm a Southern Cali kinda gal; anything below 50 is f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g. Did I mention that we had the great pleasure of trailing three busloads of high school students? Like, OMG, how annoying!
My Canadian sisters marveled at the grandeur, at our founding fathers' words of promise, at the dreams for a newly born nation. It was awe inspiring.
This was America in a pure state -- its ideals intact, its virtue untainted, its intent uncompromised.
When we descended the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, it couldn't have been more perfect-perfect: As snow swirled about, a Marine in full dress blues got down on one knee and proposed to the beautiful lady at his side. A crowd surged around them, asking for his autograph, stealing glances at her ring.
It was no doubt a very happy scene. But, it was also a very sad scene. Everyone knew that a too young, too brave, too honorable man would soon go to war. It was too much to bear.
Why bother, right?
Because.
Because even if you can feel the caress of death in everything you do, even if you know that your duty called you to knock upon death's door, if you have something to live for, you are willing to make that sacrifice.
It's called hope. And in the name of hope, we are willing to do extraordinary things. Because without hope, we have nothing.
I have hope.
On Saturday night, my nameless cohort, our St. Louis colleague and I tagged along with the Canadian contingent as they toured the sights of our nation's capital -- National Mall, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Vietnam Wall, Lincoln Memorial -- some I had seen before, some I hadn't.
They are impressively beautiful, but even though all I had done all day was sit in a conference room, I was pretty beat. The topics were heavy (Guild communications, organizing drives, collective bargaining and human rights and equity), and I already felt overwhelmed and terrified of the responsibility at hand. Plus, it was frost-bite cold and I'm a Southern Cali kinda gal; anything below 50 is f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g. Did I mention that we had the great pleasure of trailing three busloads of high school students? Like, OMG, how annoying!
My Canadian sisters marveled at the grandeur, at our founding fathers' words of promise, at the dreams for a newly born nation. It was awe inspiring.
This was America in a pure state -- its ideals intact, its virtue untainted, its intent uncompromised.
When we descended the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, it couldn't have been more perfect-perfect: As snow swirled about, a Marine in full dress blues got down on one knee and proposed to the beautiful lady at his side. A crowd surged around them, asking for his autograph, stealing glances at her ring.
It was no doubt a very happy scene. But, it was also a very sad scene. Everyone knew that a too young, too brave, too honorable man would soon go to war. It was too much to bear.
Why bother, right?
Because.
Because even if you can feel the caress of death in everything you do, even if you know that your duty called you to knock upon death's door, if you have something to live for, you are willing to make that sacrifice.
It's called hope. And in the name of hope, we are willing to do extraordinary things. Because without hope, we have nothing.
I have hope.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Guild or gruel
(Michelle Devera Louie is at the National Labor College in Silver Spring, Maryland, for the New Local Officers Seminar. She's blogging about her experience from the land of labor and blue crab. This is her first dispatch.)
As you can see from the sun beating at my back, it's sunny and snowy in Silver Spring, Maryland, and I'm waiting in my room for the party to begin. The weather's not why I'm here though (same goes my cohort who, for now, shall remain nameless).
I'm here because the good people at The Newspaper Guild think I should be. But should I? Do I deserve to be here? My beloved co-workers on the features copy desk already have so much to do and no time to do it, and having one person down is as painful as having teeny-tiny razor blades playfully dragged across your skin while chewing on glass. It continually hurts but, after a while, you get used to it.
That's exactly why I'm here. No one should have to get used to it.
Enough is enough. I cannot stand by and watch quality sacrificed for quantity in the name of "journalism" as my brethren suffer and fatten someone else's wallet. That's not the journalism I practice. That's not the truth, freedom or democracy of my birthright. Someone once told me that we should all be thankful to still have jobs. Please. I'd rather read Dickens than have some higher-up dish it out to me, thank you.
They may serve us gruel but it doesn't mean we have to eat it.
(Editor's note: I'm assured that the food at the National Labor College rates significantly better than gruel. Stay tuned for more dispatches from Michelle...)
As you can see from the sun beating at my back, it's sunny and snowy in Silver Spring, Maryland, and I'm waiting in my room for the party to begin. The weather's not why I'm here though (same goes my cohort who, for now, shall remain nameless).
I'm here because the good people at The Newspaper Guild think I should be. But should I? Do I deserve to be here? My beloved co-workers on the features copy desk already have so much to do and no time to do it, and having one person down is as painful as having teeny-tiny razor blades playfully dragged across your skin while chewing on glass. It continually hurts but, after a while, you get used to it.
That's exactly why I'm here. No one should have to get used to it.
Enough is enough. I cannot stand by and watch quality sacrificed for quantity in the name of "journalism" as my brethren suffer and fatten someone else's wallet. That's not the journalism I practice. That's not the truth, freedom or democracy of my birthright. Someone once told me that we should all be thankful to still have jobs. Please. I'd rather read Dickens than have some higher-up dish it out to me, thank you.
They may serve us gruel but it doesn't mean we have to eat it.
(Editor's note: I'm assured that the food at the National Labor College rates significantly better than gruel. Stay tuned for more dispatches from Michelle...)
Monday, January 7, 2008
Vacation from the valley
In keeping with my New Years goal (don't call it a resolution) of getting more voices on this blog, here are some thoughts from our brothers and sisters in the Central Valley branch of the McClatchy Empire, which was once the proud mainstay of a prosperous newspaper chain. (Full disclosure: I am a proud alumnus of the Modesto branch of the empire's Bee newspapers, and a not-so-proud owner of McClatchy stock):
As McClatchy stock hovers around $11 a share (a couple of years ago it was well north of $60), memoranda urging everyone to cut costs are threatening to choke the e-mail servers. So Worker Bees are wondering why McClatchy execs are choosing to hold their annual editors and publishers conference in sunny San Diego, a city in which McClatchy doesn't even own a newspaper. (At least not yet).
One can only speculate why the meeting is being held in America's Finest City, as S.D. bills itself, instead of at McClatchy Central in California's State Capital. Is it because sunshine is more conducive to corporate profits than tule fog? Because San Diego has a better zoo? Because San Diego's trolley goes to Tijuana (publisher body shots!) while Sacramento's goes to Folsom? (Insert appropriate cliche about inquiring minds here).
Note: Anyone other members with blog items/tips/ledes, send 'em my way: CTUAN@aol.com and I'll compile and post them or, if you prefer, post them as you've written (with some editing, of course.) and give you credit.
As McClatchy stock hovers around $11 a share (a couple of years ago it was well north of $60), memoranda urging everyone to cut costs are threatening to choke the e-mail servers. So Worker Bees are wondering why McClatchy execs are choosing to hold their annual editors and publishers conference in sunny San Diego, a city in which McClatchy doesn't even own a newspaper. (At least not yet).
One can only speculate why the meeting is being held in America's Finest City, as S.D. bills itself, instead of at McClatchy Central in California's State Capital. Is it because sunshine is more conducive to corporate profits than tule fog? Because San Diego has a better zoo? Because San Diego's trolley goes to Tijuana (publisher body shots!) while Sacramento's goes to Folsom? (Insert appropriate cliche about inquiring minds here).
Note: Anyone other members with blog items/tips/ledes, send 'em my way: CTUAN@aol.com and I'll compile and post them or, if you prefer, post them as you've written (with some editing, of course.) and give you credit.
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