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 […]
We Need Federal Funding for Distance Learning, During the Pandemic — and After
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a huge increase in demand for digital copying and distribution of written (and visual) materials for distance learning at all levels. This includes everything from current news articles to textbook content to literature and non-fiction books. Writers are, of course, eager to make our works more widely available — and […]
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 […]
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 […]
Not Just About Race: American Dirt has Class Issue
The novel American Dirt chronicles a middle-class Mexican woman and her son on a harrowing journey to the US as they flee cartel violence. Jeanine Cummins’ book is at the center of a train wreck in publishing for its obvious race problems and less visible class issues. The publisher, Macmillian, insisted on positioning the work […]
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 […]
Freelance Solidarity Project Update
This fall, the Freelance Solidarity Project elected its first ever organizing committee, made up of 12 members who will spend the next year helping digital media freelancers organize and fight for better working conditions. Last Friday, the committee hosted its first happy hour, welcoming members and non-members alike to the midtown bar Faces and Names […]
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NWU is the sole provider of IFJ Press Passes to freelance journalists in the U.S.