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 […]
CARES Act Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for Freelancers
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) is an act that makes independent contractors/self-employed individuals eligible for up to 39 weeks of unemployment benefits under some circumstances, through December 31, 2020. The PUA program will be in effect as of January 27, 2020, and workers will be eligible for retroactive benefits. Eligibility for Benefits […]
“It Could Be The End”
Since 2004, before anyone knew of Covid-19, more than 2,000 mostly weekly newspapers have been lost to mergers or shutdowns in cities across the U.S. Already struggling, the industry saw a wave of consolidation and further contraction at the end of 2019. The McClaskey Group, the #2 newspaper group in the U.S. declared bankruptcy months […]
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 […]
NWU Attends International Conference on Social Media in Qatar
The Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign have reportedly compiled an average of 3,000 data points on every voter in America. They have spent years experimenting with ways to tweak their messages based not just on gender and geography, but on whether you own a gun or play golf.
Freelance Solidarity Project Organizes with NWU
In the spring of 2018, a group of volunteers began discussing how freelancers could benefit from the gains of collective bargaining. As thousands of workers have unionized with the Writers Guild of America, East and the NewsGuild-CWA, the question of how we could stand in solidarity with staff workers while advocating for our own rights […]
Sign the Petition to Save Mumia’s Eyesight
Recently the National Writers Union learned of a petition to save journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal’s vision. In 1982, he was sentenced to death after being convicted of murdering a white policeman in Philadelphia. Circumstances surrounding his trial, however, cast serious doubt on the veracity of the proceedings. Over his decades in prison, his health has deteriorated. Recently, Abu-Jamal was diagnosed with glaucoma, […]
Conference Seeks to Bolster Global Worker Rights
The International Labor Organization (ILO) renewed a Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work on June 21 in Geneva, Switzerland. The event coincided with the 100th anniversary of the Conference, where the organization adopted a new international Convention against violence and harassment at work, while vowing to hold governments accountable for violations. Sharan Burrow, general […]
A Greener Way to Write
I’d like to suggest that the NWU kick off a campaign for the membership to adopt a gentler writing lifestyle to help heal the planet. Please post in next newsletter: How can writers adopt a gentler writing lifestyle? Since the New York chapter is hosting a panel discussion in November on “Writing to Save the […]
Police “Confiscate a Newsroom” to Try to Reveal a Confidential Source
On Friday, May 10, ten San Francisco police officers and two FBI agents raided the home of freelance journalist and videographer Bryan Carmody. They showed up with sledge hammers and battering rams with guns drawn, and a search warrant looking for “stolen or embezzled” property. In reality, they were not so much looking for a […]
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