Enforcing our rights to our web content shouldn’t be this hard

Today the National Writers Union (NWU) was joined by the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) and the National Association of Science Writers (NASW) in comments filed with the U.S. Copyright Office on a proposed rule for “Group Registration of Updates to a News Website”. In its current rulemaking, the Copyright Office — after consulting news […]

The State of Our Union

State of the Union: NWU is doing well, with many weaknesses and limited capacity. As of this writing we have just over 1,000 current members, which fluctuates up to 1200. We are holding our own, numbers wise, but we are growing stronger internally, which is the key, and the prerequisite for growing. Today, the union […]

Senator Scott Wiener announces CA Senate Bill 988, the Freelance Worker Protection Act

Senator Wiener Introduces Bill to Expand Freelance Worker Protections SACRAMENTO – January 31, 2024 — Today, Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) announced Senate Bill 988 (SB 988), the Freelance Worker Protection Act. SB 988 provides basic protections — enforced by the State Labor Commissioner and the Attorney General — for freelance workers, including the right […]

Literary Translators are Organizing with NWU

Literary translators are excited to be taking their first steps toward forming a division in the National Writers Union! Advocacy for better contractual terms and working conditions by literary translators, who are all freelance workers, has been ongoing for years, even decades, mostly through professional organizations, and some advances have been made. We have a […]

NY Governor Hochul Signs “Freelance Isn’t Free” into Law

Albany, NY – Yesterday, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Freelance Isn’t Free Act (S5026) into law. The bill will protect contract and freelance workers by ensuring we receive appropriate contracts for our work, are paid within 30 days of the work being completed. As a result of negotiations between the legislature and Governor Hochul, we […]

NWU RESONATES with Audio Freelancers

In early November, member-organizers Olivia Aylmer, Jordan Mays, Alexis Gunderson, and Rider Alsop spread the word about organizing in audio while tabling at the second-annual RESONATE Podcast Festival in Richmond, Virginia. Hundreds of audio workers, from industry newcomers to seasoned producers, convened at the Institute for Contemporary Art to build community, share knowledge, and celebrate the audio craft. In a year […]

NWU Releases Platform and Principles for Policy on Generative AI

After many months spent organizing, strategizing, and working collectively towards a draft both ambitious in scope and reflective of our members’ wide-ranging experiences and perspectives, the NWU Generative AI Working Group has at last ratified our Platform and Principles for Policy on Generative AI. (The final vote was 95.8% in favor, 4.2% opposed. No abstentions.) […]

Imparcialidad Periodística en el Conflicto Palestino-Israelí

Desde los injustificables ataques de Hamás contra civiles israelíes, el ejército israelí ha matado a más de mil cuatrocientas personas en Gaza, donde además ha cortado los alimentos, el agua y la electricidad a más de dos millones de personas. En el momento de escribir este artículo, se está efectuando una limpieza étnica masiva. Israel […]