The National Writers Union to EBONY: “See You in Court!”

NEW YORK, NY – The National Writers Union/UAW Local 1981 (NWU) is preparing to go to court after the EBONY Media Organization (EMO) and its parent company, the Clear View Group (CVG) failed to meet a self-imposed deadline to compensate as many as 50 freelance writers who are owed as much as $200,000. After mounting […]

NWU Hosts Panel on Turkey as Trial Opens for 17 Journalists

New York City, June 20 – Today NWU hosted a panel on the growing crises in Turkey and the Middle East. The panelsists included Sedat Bozkurt, a leading journalist at Fox Turkey, and Mucahit Bilici, a professor at John Jay College in NY and author of “Turkish Islam and the Kurdish Question.” The panel was […]

Press Release on Ebony Media’s Non-Payment to Freelancers

The National Writers Union Continues To Press Ebony Media For Written Agreement On Compensating Unpaid Freelancers Statement to the media not enough, says union that represents freelance writers NEW YORK, NY – As the number of freelance writers owed by EBONY Media continues to rise, the National Writers Union is demanding a firmer commitment from […]

The Fort Point Gang May Day Memorial

We joined the Fort Point Gang’s annual May Day memorial celebration on May 4 to honor labor leaders, many of whom were members of the American Communist Party. We commemorated those brave souls who were harassed, arrested, and jailed for their thinking during the post-war, McCarthy era, which reminds us to be vigilant so that […]

“The First Casualty of War is the Truth!”

On May 4, UNESCO and the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) commemorated World Press Freedom Day at UN Headquarters in New York. The theme was “Critical Minds for Critical Times: Media’s Role in Advancing Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies.” There were two high-level panels and the audience included the diplomatic community, NGOs and journalism […]

Freelance Isn’t Free Becomes Law in NYC

On May 15, freelance workers celebrated the launch of the new Freelance Isn’t Free law at the Westinghouse Building in Manhattan. The Freelancers Union, with the support of the National Writers Union, Make the Road NY, and other unions and freelance organizations, helped push the bill through the City Council to a 51-0 vote last […]

NWU Hosts PEN America

On May 10, NWU and Creatives in Action (CIA) co-hosted Suzanne Nossel, Executive Director of PEN America, who spoke about “Defending Our Democracy in the Trump Era.”  This was the first time NWU has partnered with CIA and the third time we have participated with PEN America in the last six month. Previously we spoke out in […]

Why Defunding the NEA is Even Dumber Than You Think

It’s federal budget time and, as usual, the National Endowment for the Arts is under attack. Their heads filled with images of obscene art, effete gallery-goers and overtaxed single mothers, conservatives are gunning for the straight-out elimination of the 50 year old program. No money, no arts funding. Period. No matter that the $148 million […]

Do Writers Have “Moral Rights”?

The idea that writers have “moral” rights with respect to our written work may seem strange to those who think of copyright in purely propertarian terms. They might wonder: What does morality have to do with property ownership? But our writing is more than intellectual property, and our rights to our work are more than […]