If there was any doubt as to who is telling the truth, all you have to do is watch the testimony of Judge Brett Kavanaugh and the Republican Senators’ Day of Rage against Dr. Christine Blaisey Ford. White, male patriarchy was on full display, not unlike a visit to the Ape House at the zoo, […]
NWU in Spain for Gender Conference
Around the world, gender-based violence, pay inequity, and a lack of diversity in newsroom management are pressing matters. In late May, about 30 journalists gathered at a Gender Conference in Santander, Spain, to explore what must be done. Sponsored by the International Federation of Journalists, we met in the Magdalena Palace— originally built for Spanish […]
NAUTILUS STORIES PUBLISHED, BUT NOT PAID FOR
Here some of our stories that Nautilus contracted for and published, but has yet to pay for more than a year later for many of us. Topics include selfishness, depression, rats, and impossible math. Also apropos, “Trust” is the theme of Nautilus’s December issue. Lorraine Boissoneault, Chicago, Illinois, NWU (@boissolm, www.lboissoneault.com) “Archaeologists are Planning […]
What a Year!
Last year at this time, most of us were depressed and/or in shock at the outcome of the presidential election. But on the day after the inauguration, the Women’s March, a worldwide protest, helped clear our heads and set us on a course to fight back. The anti-Muslim travel ban was met by thousands of […]
Ebony Freelancers and NWU Get to Know Each Other
On November 1, lawyers for NWU and the Ebony Media Organization finally met in a Cook County courtroom. At issue is the $80,000 owed to the 48 freelancers who are being represented by their union. The following night, about a dozen Ebony freelancers and some NWU reps met and got to know each other at […]
Writer Alert—UPTOWN Magazine—October 18 2017
UPTOWN Magazine–a national publication with regional editions in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. –has not been paying all of its freelance writers. Some writers remain unpaid since October, 2014. Together five writers, now represented by the National Writers Union, are owed $18,825 for work published by UPTOWN over the past three years. The NWU has tried repeatedly […]
George Fell Was a ‘Force of Nature’
We know the name of the man who threatens the future of the conserved and preserved natural lands in the United States, but few can name the man who launched the Nature Conservancy and sparked the entire Natural Areas Movement. Arthur Melville Pearson’s Force of Nature chronicles the life of George Fell. A complex and at […]
2016 Year in Review
All in all, it was a very busy year at NWU and we’re better off for it. The elections aside, we still have many challenges ahead, the main one being how to grow, be more active, and better serve our members while, at the same time, cutting back on spending. This is a perpetual riddle […]
TAKE AUTHORS SURVEY, BOOST NWU
What is the easiest way to support your union? Completing an Authors Coalition survey. Each response can generate the same income for the NWU as gaining one new member. In 2015, your participation helped us accrue nearly $160,000 in non-title specific royalty payments. This amount is directly linked to the number of completed surveys. However, […]
Writers Attend White House Summit
The White House Summit on Worker Voice on October 7 brought together workers, including writers, labor leaders, business owners, government officials, and advocates. President Obama told those gathered in the East Room: “We should be making it easier, not harder, for folks to join a union.” Yet he cautioned that those who would […]
NWU is the sole provider of IFJ Press Passes to freelance journalists in the U.S.