Freelancers' union gets off the ground

Last week I attended a meeting of the California Media Workers Guild. The group met to discuss the possibilities of extending membership to freelance journalists, making it one of the first locals in the nationwide Communications Workers of America to consider such a move.

This idea comes close on the heels of drastic cutbacks across the media industry, and especially newspapers. Last month, members of the union approved changes that would allow the San Francisco Chronicle to lay off as many as 150 union members without regard to seniority. The company argued that if it could not cut costs, it would either sell or close the paper.

Here's the announcement from the Guild:

FREELANCERS UNITE!
By choice or circumstance, more and more Bay Area journalists and writers are going into business for themselves. But leaving your media organization doesn’t have to mean losing the protections and benefits of your union. A new unit of the California Media Workers Guild is forming to support independent writers, editors and journalists of every type. From credentials to benefits, working together can help us create better working conditions and a more vibrant marketplace. Please join our next meeting:

Noon, Friday April 24
Third-floor conference room
California Media Workers
433 Natoma Street, San Francisco.

 To RSVP, or to be added to our mailing list, e-mail Sara Steffens: modernsara [AT] gmail.com
This group will be run and governed by members, under the auspices of The Newspaper Guild and Communications Workers of America.

Projects include:
*Job-search assistance and networking
*Bidding for group benefits, possibly including group healthcare
*Support with contract and payment disputes
*Monitoring federal legislation to represent freelancers' interests
*Resource and referral directories