Archives for 2018

Film Chronicles Uncomfortable Labor History

In 1993, the movie Tombstone played theaters with the tagline, “Every town has a story, Tombstone has a legend.” Only a half hour drive from Tombstone, Ariz., is Bisbee, a town whose story also needed to be told. In fact, the tale had been suppressed for decades. Now, Bisbee ’17 will go a long way to address that. Directed […]

16 Days Against Gender-Based Violence

Almost two-thirds of women journalists have been subjected to online abuse, according to a new IFJ survey. Respondents reported various forms of harassment, including death or rape threats, insults, the devaluation of their work, sexist comments, being the recipient of obscene images, cyberbullying, cyberstalking, and account impersonation. Among those who suffered online harassment, the survey suggests, […]

President’s December 2108 Column

New Sanctuary Coalition I’m working on building a labor delegation to the New Sanctuary Coalition effort to bring thousands of people to the US/Mexico border to greet the Central American refugee exodus. The NSC Call to Organized Labor is here. Please sign on and share widely. So far about 100 union activists and unions have […]

Here’s How to Dodge the Cashier Check Scam

A short email arrived in my inbox, inquiring whether I still translate documents from German into English. I replied that I did, but didn’t pay much attention to the sender’s name, email address or the subject line: “Translator Needed ASAP.” Their reply came almost immediately: They thanked me for my quick response, and asked how […]

RIP Rashod Ollison

The National Writers Union is sad to announce the death of one of our members, Rashod Ollison. Ollison, 41, was an award-winning entertainment writer and music critic whose most recent post was at The Virginian Pilot, where he covered pop music and culture. He has also been a staff critic and feature writer for the […]

Ebony Media and CVG Fail to Pay Freelancers

New York (October 16, 2018) – Ebony Media Organization (EMO) and its parent Clear View Group (CVG) have failed to honor the terms of a February agreement with the National Writers Union (NWU/UAW) and 44 freelancer writers for about $80,000 for unpaid work that was contracted and published. The union filed a case in Cook County […]

NWU Joins Coalition Demanding a Full Investigation into Fate of Jamal Khashoggi

Oct. 11, 2018 The Embassy of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 601 New Hampshire Ave., NW Washington, DC 20037 Dear Ambassador Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, We, the 30 undersigned journalism and free press organizations, representing thousands of journalists and their supporters, join the United States government and others in urging a full investigation […]

The Mansion of the Kavanaughs

Dear Ms. Ellis: I was forwarded your recent article As Kavanaugh Allegations Widen, Elite-College Alumni Recall Harassment From Decades Past Students, By Lindsay Ellis September 27, 2018 As a 1965 graduate of Radcliffe (which was in the process of becoming Harvard), I am being urged by family and husband to write something about all this. You may […]

NWU NY CHAPTER ANNUAL PICNIC A SUCCESS!

Twenty-five New York and Connecticut writers gathered on a hot and muggy Sunday afternoon in Riverside Park to celebrate the writing life and to share our food, our hopes and our dreams. The threat of rain held off as the multi-racial, multi-generational group of writers discussed their current projects and received advice and encouragement. Co-chair […]

Grievance Officers and Contract Advisors Needed

The NWU’s Grievance and Contract Committee is in search of several members who are interested in volunteering their time to be trained and to serve as Grievance Officers (GOs) and Contract Advisors (CAs).  Why Volunteer? Grievance Officers assist fellow NWU members in fighting to resolve disputes with publishers that may arise from lack of pay, […]