There was genuine solidarity among the 60+ delegates and members who joined us in-person or on Zoom, and everyone’s dedication and contributions made the gathering a powerful step forward in strengthening our collective voice and advancing our shared goals as a union! This was our first in-person DA since 2018, and we had double the number of delegates and rank-and-file members in attendance as we did in 2021. A special shout-out also to the members who joined us virtually, and to the members who worked to make the DA an accessible and inclusive hybrid event!
The notes from the official proceedings of the DA can be found in the membership portal by logging into your NWU account, or in the November newsletter. We know that navigating dissenting ideas through principled struggle is a strength of a democratic union like ours. It was also clear after the weekend that there is alignment on a vision for an NWU that fights for creative workers, builds unbreakable solidarity, and channels collective power to change material conditions for all.
So what’s next? We build our union.
One highlight was the adopted resolution to build our union’s numbers and power, which commits our union to organizing to build a larger, more activated membership to take on the battles that all creative workers will face in the years ahead. The resolution also forms a Strategic Organizing Committee to lead and steer this work. To be part of this exciting effort, reach out to Recording Secretary Jonathan Rosenblum at jonathanr4212@gmail.com.
We also need to fortify our ties to our fellow members and to our fellow creative workers, in order to steel ourselves against the years to come. On the last day of the Delegate Assembly, At-Large Delegate Khawla Nakua shared some powerful words about not only why she joined NWU, but why she stayed.
I joined the union close to four years ago, when I was struggling in my career and trying to figure out how to “make it” as a freelance journalist. During an initial call with a current member, I immediately felt this warm feeling, this sense that they get what I am going through and not only do they get it, but they want to change that outcome. I felt so secure and comfortable and safe. I immediately decided after that phone call to join the National Writers Union and more specifically the Freelance Solidarity Project, a division of NWU. Four years later, I have done projects addressing issues that I wouldn’t even dream of pursuing. Whether that involves promoting the Freelance Solidarity Challenge that addresses the way we pay freelancers, or uplifting the retaliation of incarcerated journalists when covering conditions in prison, or addressing the killing of Palestinian journalists and retaliation against Western journalists by releasing our Red Lines report— I am so proud of these projects and how they’re making a difference, however big or small the difference may be. I know that we are afraid of what the new administration can do, but I know that as long as this union exists and continues to do the work, there is a light at the end of this tunnel. We will be okay and exceed our highest expectations.
Let’s continue to do the work! And if you’re not already a member of our union, join us.
