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Next Generation Bay Area labor group not afraid to try creative tactics

By NIESHA LOFING
Local President

The goal was to draw attention to a decision in San Jose that could have stripped collective bargaining rights from workers. So about 25 members of a union group called Next Generation Bay Area donned zombie gear, marched down to a music event at a city park and held a flash mob. Then they camped overnight in support of workers.

The group has about 50 active members, with 150 more involved via email. They hold at least three events a month not including activities like voter registration drives. They attend alliance events, hold happy hours and raise awareness around social justice issues.

“With the lack of education that happens surrounding social justice and workers rights in schools right now, it’s extremely important for us to educate and empower individuals because it’s the people who make change,” said Eric Lindberg (photo), secretary-treasurer of CWA Local 9423 and co-founder of the Next Generation Bay Area group. “Change doesn’t just happen by itself.”

Meet solidarity, the next generation.

Organized groups of younger union members and activists have begun emerging in recent months and years, a trend that labor leaders and experts, as well as young union members themselves, recognize as vital to labor movement. The trend also is spurred by the AFL-CIO’s Next Up Young Workers Conference, a dynamic summit created in 2010 for young activists focused on mobilizing, organizing and energizing future generations of workers.

Read the whole story

 

 
LOCAL NEWS

BARGAINING BULLETIN #7

Guild refusing concession demands in Santa Rosa

Media Workers Guild - 21 Feb 2012

Members of the Santa Rosa Guild are continuing to negotiate with management for a new contract. The Guild presented new contract proposals last week that included improved pay and which defended current benefits for full-time and part-time employees. Management countered with proposals that did not differ significantly from its previous proposals. That included concessions on pay, retirement and benefits.

BARGAINING BULLETIN #6

Management seeks 5.5% pay cut in Santa Rosa

New owner also wants to stop 401(k) match

Media Workers Guild - 10 Feb 2012

Members of the Santa Rosa Guild met Wednesday and Thursday with management to continue with negotiations. The discussion was wide-ranging and productive. However, no significant breakthroughs were achieved and the two sides remain far apart on a number of key issues. Management put forward its economic proposals, which include a 5.5 percent reduction in wages, no guaranteed merit pay and an elimination of the 401K match.

BARGAINING BULLETIN

Sacramento talks focus on contract re-opener issues

Copy desk consolidation delayed

Media Workers Guild - 30 Jan 2012

Talks on a plan to consolidate the Modesto and Merced copy desks in Sacramento were delayed Friday as discussions shifted to contract re-opener issues, including pay increases and differentials. The company is proposing to change how advertising goals are set, and how part-timers become eligible for benefits.

BARGAINING UPDATE

Fresno members to vote on 2% merit pool for 2012

Copy desk work to stay in Fresno

Media Workers Guild - 30 Jan 2012

Guild negotiators at the Fresno Bee have tentatively agreed to a 2 percent merit pool for wage increases through 2012, a continuation of what unit members received in 2011. Given the current economic conditions, Unit Chair Bethany Clough said in a bulletin, "that is the best we’re going to get and the company did not give any indication they would budge on the amount." Employees whose review date has passed will get their raises retroactively.

More local news

GUILD MEETING

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Sat. Feb. 25* 2012 
10 a.m.-Noon
433 Natoma St.
San Francisco, CA
*Date changed due to Presidents Day Holiday/Bay Bridge Closure

AGENDA

 

1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call (Present and via Teleconference)
3. President's Report
4. Staff Reports
5. Local Finance Statement
6. CFI Region IV Bargaining
7. Review Standing Committees
8. Member Data and Email Lists
9. New & Unfinished Business 
10. Adjourn

All members welcome.

Contact us by 5 p.m. Feb. 24 if you want to participate via teleconference.

 


 

Media Workers at cutting edge of fashion

Our new Pacific Media Workers Guild t-shirts and polos are in stock and ready for action.

Isabella, 7, models our militant black polo ($25) while her chum Ariana, also 7, wears our proud natural-T ($10). Both shirts are union-designed, union-printed and union-made.

Get yours now. Specify your size (s-m-l-xl-2xl) and which shirt you'd like. And, if you sign up for our Solidarity Action Committee we will send a t-shirt FREE! It requires no more than an hour of your time each month or so. Supplies may not last so contact us now!

 
NEWS OF THE INDUSTRY

FUTURE OF NEWS

Chicago News shutting down

Times to non-profit: Drop dead

JimRomenesko.com - 17 Feb 2012

Chicago News Cooperative employees were told late Friday afternoon that the non-profit news site is closing. The newsroom, which provides content to the New York Times, was launched in 2009. Managing editor James O’Shea says he asked the Times for financial support to keep CNC going, but the Times refused.

NONPROFIT NEWS

Thriving Texas Tribune has Perry campaign to thank

Nieman Journalism Lab - 24 Jan 2012

Last August, Rick Perry delivered a gift to the Texas Tribune: The governor announced his candidacy for president. Two days later, reporter Jay Root would break the story that Perry had backpedaled on his controversial effort to vaccinate girls against HPV. Root’s story was viewed about 150,000 times in total in 2011 and generated the biggest-ever traffic day for the online startup. “There’s no question Rick Perry was good for business,” said Trib CEO and editor Evan Smith. “Even if his presidential campaign wasn’t successful these last five months, we were.”

Daily newspaper going the way of milkman

Alan Mutter - Reflections of a Newsosaur - 10 Jan 2012

Daily newspaper delivery will go the way of the milkman in a growing number of communities in 2012 and beyond. Barring a miraculous turnaround in the economy, a sea change in the thinking of media buyers or a late-breaking proclivity for print in the sub-geezer population, publishers in ever more communities are likely to reduce the number of days they provide home delivery – or print a newspaper altogether.

Stephens empire expands newspaper holdings

North Bay part of NY Times sale of regionals

Max Brantley - Arkansas Times blog - 30 Dec 2011


Warren Stephens

Interesting that an investment company owned by Little Rock financier Warren Stephens has purchased 16 newspapers from the New York Times to add to a newspaper Halifax Media already owned in Daytona Beach, Fla. Industry press says the price -- $143 million and change for more than 400,000 in daily circulation — represents a dramatic reduction in the value the newspapers once held.

Guild meetings 2012

Members of the Executive Committee and Representative Assembly voted to approve a tentative meeting schedule for 2012.  All Local Officers, Unit Chairs and Representative Assembly delegates should make plans to attend.

Most meetings are held the third Saturday of the month at our San Francisco headquarters in the Guild Building, 433 Natoma St.  Here's a tentative list of proposed dates.

One special note: We are a big local spread across two states. In order to increase participation by our Southern California, Central Valley and Hawaii members, we are considering whether to schedule some meetings in locations outside San Francisco.

Skype is another option for members who live outside the Bay Area. 

 


Times announces sale of regional news group

Santa Rosa Press Democrat part of $143 million deal

Guy Kovner - Press Democrat - 27 Dec 2011

The New York Times Company announced an agreement on Tuesday to sell its Regional Media Group of 16 newspapers, including The Press Democrat, for $143 million in cash to Halifax Media Holdings LLC. The transaction is expected to close within a few weeks, said Arthur Sulzberger Jr., chairman of The New York Times Company.

OCCUPATION MOVEMENT

Wall Street of the waterfront

How will ILWU rank-and-file workers respond?

Steve Stallone - Counterpunch - 08 Dec 2011

The Occupy movement is barely more than two months old and already showing signs of growing up. Seeing their encampments thwarted, they are responding with a coordinated counterpunch themselves. Coordinated protests at West Coast ports could signal a new direction for the Occupy movement: engaging in mass direct actions outside of established institutions to both support local labor practices and strike at the heart of the global economic apparatus. For a young movement these are some sophisticated maneuvers. Still, growing pains endure.

Right-wing GOP cretins try to take over NLRB

Rep. Miller warns of an

Mark Gruenberg - Press Associates Inc. - 03 Dec 2011

A cabal of the business community and congressional Republicans is mounting a concerted attack to literally destroy the National Labor Relations Board and workers’ rights nationwide, a panel of pro-worker experts and two key lawmakers say. And destroying it is part of a crusade to wreck the middle class.


More industry news

Departing president looks back at decade of growth despite relentless attack 

By Michael Cabanatuan
Local President (2001-2011)

As many of you know, or probably don't, I am turning over the reins of the Pacific Media Workers Guild after 10 years as local president. So this column/blog post is quite likely my final act as head of our Guild local.

Since I'm on vacation, a benefit we've worked hard to protect, I'll keep it fairly brief. Unlike my tenure as head of the local.

It's been a good 10 years during a lousy 10 years. I won't dwell on the negative, which we all know too well. We've seen hundreds of our members walked out of the buildings, suffered way too many givebacks in our contracts, and suffered through the decline of the newspaper industry. But we're still here.

Even though we've been under attack for most of the past decade, we've maintained contracts that protect decent working conditions for our surviving members, and we've helped our former members who've been forced out the doors.

The local has also grown. Our biggest victory was organizing the Bay Area News Group-East Bay, the first major newspaper union organizing victory nationally in years. We merged twice to bring in other locals: first, San Jose, then Hawaii. We formed the Freelancers Unit, first in the Guild to recognize the value of bringing independent journalists into the union.

I leave with pride in what we have accomplished, and in our continued strength and solidarity. And I look forward to being a plain-old member of the greatest local in The Newspaper Guild.

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