Autoworkers joined librarians, submarine builders, casino workers, clerical, craft and line workers from across the country for the 39th International United Auto Workers (UAW) Women’s Conference at the Walter and May Reuther Family Education Center in Black Lake, Michigan. I was delighted to come together with more than 300 UAW sisters—and some brothers—August 9-14, immediately […]
NWU Attends UAW Civil and Human Rights Conference
“Remembering Our Past, Building Our Future!” served as the theme of the recent 31st United Auto Workers (UAW) Annual Civil and Human Rights Conference. About 300 of us attended the August 30-September 4 event at the Walter and May Reuther Family Education Center in Onaway, Michigan. It was an idyllic setting with verdant trees, a […]
President’s Letter
The NWU Delegate Assembly will convene from August 7-9 in New York City, where roughly 50 delegates, chapter and division chairs, along with national officers, will chart the course for the union going forward. The DA is the highest governing body of our union, and it’s charged with addressing the major issues we face in […]
Netroots Nation
Over nearly a decade, Netroots Nation has grown to become a powerful force in promoting the Democratic Party. It serves as a platform for community activists, labor organizations, and even presidential candidates. With a reputation for compelling content and boisterous voices, Netroots 2015 descended on the Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona’s capital city last month, […]
Problems with your book contract? You have options.
Many people have contacted us in the last few years about getting out of book contracts. Maybe they want to self-publish an e-book. Maybe the publisher isn’t promoting their book properly. Maybe their editor left and they’re unhappy with the new cast of characters. If you want out, the first step is to ask. If […]
NWU Supports Egyptian Journalists Syndicate’s Call for a National Strike on June 10
Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate General Secretary Gamal Abdalrahim The National Writers Union stands with you in your call for a national strike on June 10, to protest the mass dismissal of journalists in many media, the rampant job insecurity and the continued jailing of journalists. The ruling last May of Egypt’s Supreme Administrative Court, that “striking […]
Gawker Writers Unionize!
The National Writers Union and all of our freelance members want to congratulate the staff writers and editors at Gawker Media on their overwhelming vote to join the Writers Guild of America-East. As workers in the creative economy, we know that all too often our work is undervalued by those who profit from it the […]
NWU Co-Sponsors World Press Freedom Event at the United Nations
“Finding Security in Unsafe Passages” was a half-day event for journalists that the National Writers Union co-sponsored at the United Nations in New York on May 7 to mark World Press Freedom Day and raise awareness of the International Federation of Journalist’s End Impunity campaign. According to IFJ, more than 700 journalists have been killed […]
Work-for-Hire: A Great Market
Copyrights are important to a writer’s success, but so is money. Sometimes work for hire (WFH) is a great way to earn money. Freelancers can make good incomes writing promotional materials, product manuals, grants, or books in series (think Dummies). Without owning the copyrights they can’t sell the movie or smartphone app rights, but how […]
No Win for Readers and Writers: Commentary on Amazon v. Hachette
Readers, like writers, have been caught in the middle of a feud over e-book distribution terms and pricing between the Hachette book publishing company and Amazon.com. On Nov. 13, the two announced they had reached a settlement. But the terms were not disclosed, and there’s been nary a word about its implications for readers and […]
NWU is the sole provider of IFJ Press Passes to freelance journalists in the U.S.