NWU and NASW form Partnership

NEW YORK, NY (December 20, 2018) – The National Writers Union (UAW Local 1981) is proud to announce our new partnership with the National Association of Science Writers. The 2,000-member NASW is the largest organization of science writers in the world. The partnership will officially take effect on January 1, 2019. NASW consists of freelancers and […]

Finally, Ebony Pays!!!

We’re glad to announce that the final 4th quarter payment of the Ebony settlement is complete. The last $18,323 is en route to 16 writers. It was due Dec. 28, but Michael Gibson, president of the ownershp group CVG and CEO of Ebony Media, decided to get this done after being sued in court and slammed […]

President’s December 2108 Column

New Sanctuary Coalition I’m working on building a labor delegation to the New Sanctuary Coalition effort to bring thousands of people to the US/Mexico border to greet the Central American refugee exodus. The NSC Call to Organized Labor is here. Please sign on and share widely. So far about 100 union activists and unions have […]

Here’s How to Dodge the Cashier Check Scam

A short email arrived in my inbox, inquiring whether I still translate documents from German into English. I replied that I did, but didn’t pay much attention to the sender’s name, email address or the subject line: “Translator Needed ASAP.” Their reply came almost immediately: They thanked me for my quick response, and asked how […]

RIP Rashod Ollison

The National Writers Union is sad to announce the death of one of our members, Rashod Ollison. Ollison, 41, was an award-winning entertainment writer and music critic whose most recent post was at The Virginian Pilot, where he covered pop music and culture. He has also been a staff critic and feature writer for the […]

Ebony Media and CVG Fail to Pay Freelancers

New York (October 16, 2018) – Ebony Media Organization (EMO) and its parent Clear View Group (CVG) have failed to honor the terms of a February agreement with the National Writers Union (NWU/UAW) and 44 freelancer writers for about $80,000 for unpaid work that was contracted and published. The union filed a case in Cook County […]

Grievance Officers and Contract Advisors Needed

The NWU’s Grievance and Contract Committee is in search of several members who are interested in volunteering their time to be trained and to serve as Grievance Officers (GOs) and Contract Advisors (CAs).  Why Volunteer? Grievance Officers assist fellow NWU members in fighting to resolve disputes with publishers that may arise from lack of pay, […]

NWU Backs Study Hall Writers

The following letter was signed by 115 members of the Study Hall collective. NWU supports their struggle. info@studyhall.xyz // studyhall.xyz September 5, 2018 When The Outline launched in late 2016, they promised to be “a new kind of publication” that would, against many odds, find ways to thrive in a near-apocalyptic media landscape. Yesterday, they […]

Beyond Ebonyowes

The unfortunate circumstances around EBONYOWES are no secret: Loss of income. Possibly fractured relationships with editors, and second-guessing by some about our decision to take legal action against a beloved American institution. However, the experience forced me out of my comfort zone. After I stopped writing for EBONY, I began to pitch larger publications and […]

Get to Know Us

More than 40 people joined the NWU to get grievance assistance or contract advice during the first six months of 2018. And roughly half of all members who request service—not counting group grievances—are new members. If you’re one of them, welcome to the National Writers Union!  If you joined to pursue a grievance, you may […]