Updates on Non-Payment Grievances

Consumers Digest: On June 2, a judge finally granted our Motion for Default Judgment after Consumers Digest failed to obtain new counsel to Appear on its behalf.  This case has dragged on for almost two years as deadbeat publisher Randy Weber seeks to avoid paying our 17 freelancers the $65,000 he owes them. Another hearing […]

Publishers Sue the Internet Archive for Scanning Books

On June 1, four major US commercial publishers sued the Internet Archive for “willful mass infringement” of copyrights by scanning books and distributing copies on the OpenLibrary.org and Archive.org websites, without any permission from, or payment to, the publishers or authors of the works included in those books.

IFJ North America Region Meets

IFJ’s North American Region met on May 13, to discuss and coordinate our response to the Covid/financial crisis facing our members and our industry.  The meeting included the participation of Unifor (Canada), NWU (US), TNG-CWA (US), NUJ (UK and Ireland), and the Deputy General Secretary of IFJ. To underline the gravity of the situation, the […]

Coronavirus Relief for Writers

Every working person has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. As freelance writers and authors, we’ve seen gigs fall through, projects put on hold, and book tours canceled as the world does all it can to stop the spread. If we fall ill, we have no employee benefits to help us cover that lost […]

IFJ International Solidarity in the Face of the Covid-19 Pandemic

The following exchange took place between leaders of the International Federation of Journalists on Thursday, March 19, 2020 as the Covid-19 was wreaking havoc on Italy and Spain and beginning its escalated attack in North America. The international solidarity expressed here speaks for itself and offers some comfort and optimism in the face of this […]

Getting Writers Read and Fed!

The NWU is Back at the San Francisco Writers Conference February, 13-16, 2020. The National Writers Union Northern California Chapter will be at the conference for a 4th year, and is presenting the one-hour panel, Getting Read and Getting Fed! This panel includes NWU Members Cedric O’Bannon, Edward Hasbrouck, Brigid O’Farrell, and September Williams. This event takes place […]

What Writers Should Know About AB5

On January 22, NWU and the Authors Guild held a panel on “What Writers Should Know About AB5 and Similar Laws to End Misclassification.” The speakers were Authors Guild Executive Director Mary Rasenberger, Staff Attorney of the Employment Unit of the Legal Aid Society, Richard Blum, and NWU President Larry Goldbetter. You can see the […]

NWU Representing Unpaid Freelancers and Romance Writers

We have two new non-payment grievances to start the New Year. NWU member Daisy Alioto has helped us organize a group grievance of six freelancers at L’Officiel Magazine who are owed about $18,000. We have had one meeting with the freelancers and as we go to press, we have a meeting scheduled with officers from […]