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 […]

A SEAT AT THE JOURNAL-ISMS TABLE

On Saturday, December 1, NWU President Larry Goldbetter and executive committee member A.J. Springer were recognized for their work in getting Ebony freelancers paid at Richard Prince’s 9th Annual Journal-isms Roundtable Holiday Party at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Journal-isms covers all aspects of Black media and is a leading voice for diversity in publishing. Prince was […]

Conference: Keys To Writing Success

The recent National Writers Union 8th Annual conference was a rousing success. Held at NWU headquarters in midtown Manhattan, the event brought to mind the African proverb, “Doing one’s best drives away regret.” The theme was “The Writer’s Key to Success,” and NWU Conference Organizing Committee members, Chapter ’87, labored to create a seminar where […]

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 […]

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, […]

October 2018 President’s Report

If there was any doubt as to who is telling the truth, all you have to do is watch the testimony of Judge Brett Kavanaugh and the Republican Senators’ Day of Rage against Dr. Christine Blaisey Ford. White, male patriarchy was on full display, not unlike a visit to the Ape House at the zoo, […]

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 […]

Grievance and Contract Report to 2018 DA

A fond farewell to Amy Rose We are sad to report that Amy Rose, our National Grievance Officer since 2005, has resigned. We will miss her dedication, competence, leadership, and wisdom; and we wish her the best in future ventures. Amy was not only an effective grievance officer herself, but also an outstanding mentor to […]