Don’t be a stranger

If you’ve vested in a pension plan with an employer, remember to keep your contact information current with your employer and your union after you leave that position. If they can’t find you, they can’t pay you. On my desk right now, I have ITU pension-eligibility notices for Vivian K. Lawrence and Donald B. Allen. Their last pension contributions were in 1985, so they’ve probably... [Read more]

Surely, we have heroes …

Do you know a member who did something heroic last year? The CWA district that we Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild members belong to is District 7, and the district is looking for nominees for its annual Heroic Achievement Award. Winners receive a plaque recognizing their act. Here’s the official description. Let me know at seattleyoko@gmail.com if you know of someone in our local who should... [Read more]

Scholarships for Pierce County students from union families

Up to 8 scholarships of $500-$1,000 will be awarded to graduating high-school seniors from union families living in Pierce County who submit a 500-word essay describing their most rewarding volunteer activities and what they learned from the experience. Applications are available at the Pierce County Labor Council Web site. Deadline is Feb. 28.  Read More →

Notice of special general-membership meeting

At its January meeting, the representative assembly voted to hire local president Yoko Kuramoto-Eidsmoe to replace outgoing administrative officer Liz Brown. A special general-membership meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, to vote on ratification of the hire of Yoko Kuramoto-Eidsmoe as administrative officer. All members are encouraged to attend.  Read More →

Seattle Times pension proposal passes

The proposal voted on today at The Seattle Times main unit passed. The proposal was to indefinitely extend the freeze on company pension contributions, in exchange for a company match of half of employee 401(k) contributions up to 4 percent.  Read More →

Seattle Times main unit: Voting on pension proposal is TODAY

Voting on the pension proposal will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today in the Vancouver Room of the Denny building. Local vice president Darryl Sclater and I will be available to answer questions and discuss the proposal during the entire polling time, and a discussion session will begin at noon for those who may have missed earlier sessions.  Read More →

Meeting and vote info at The Seattle Times

There will be an information session on The Seattle Times proposal for an indefinite freeze of the pension plan at 3 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 27, in the Vancouver Room of the Denny Building. Voting will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 1, in the Vancouver Room. Fax voting for members who work out of remote locations away from the Fairview and Denny locations will be available. Please request... [Read more]

Important news for Seattle Times members

Your Guild leaders recently met with representatives of The Seattle Times about the pension plan for Guild-affiliated employees. After our discussions, we’ve reached tentative agreement on a proposal that will be put to a vote Monday, Feb. 1. Voting will take place primarily in the workplace, but we will make other provisions for people assigned to outlying bureaus, and members who are traveling... [Read more]

Seattle Times main unit: Important news on the pension

Your Guild leaders recently met with representatives of The Seattle Times about the pension plan for Guild-affiliated employees. After our discussions, we’ve reached tentative agreement on a proposal that will be put to a vote Monday, Feb. 1. Voting will take place primarily in the workplace, but we will make other provisions for people assigned to outlying bureaus, and members who are traveling... [Read more]

Changes coming to Local 37082

Yoko Kuramoto-Eidsmoe, the current president of the local, was hired as the new Administrative Officer by the Representative Assembly at its meeting Jan. 12. The hire now awaits confirmation by the General Membership at a special meeting Feb. 9. Kuramoto-Eidsmoe will replace Liz Brown, who is leaving the Guild-CWA to take a job with another union. More information on the Feb. 9 meeting will be forthcoming.... [Read more]

A sad anniversary

It was one year ago today that the Hearst Corp. announced its closure of the print Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Although the P-I’s neon globe still rotates over Elliott Avenue in Seattle, and the P-I publishes online, more than 100 journalists lost their jobs when the paper stopped printing March 18, 2009. Like any somber anniversary, it’s worth noting. It wasn’t just the journalists.... [Read more]

Executive Board, General Membership and Representative Assembly meetings

The quarterly meetings of the General Membership and the Representative Assembly will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12 at the union office in Seattle. The office is located at 2900 Eastlake Ave. E., about a third of a mile south of the University Bridge. The Executive Board meets at 6 p.m. Members are invited to attend both meetings. The agendas for the meetings will be posted soon at pnwguild.org.  Read More →

Panty bombers and more year-end musings

One of the coolest things about journalism is the quick wits who inhabit it, those wags whose quips and barbs (anonymous and unattributed, alas) soon become the vital script of our collective history. We’re talking about the copy desk, folks, the heroic wordsmiths who craft sublime headlines, save others from shame and libel, and who are among the best unknown comics around. Just as everyone... [Read more]

The back-and-forth opinions on old media

Over at Newsosaur, Alan Mutter and some friends are declaring newspapers as an industry dead. We specify as an industry because there is a thirst for information, but not in the way it’s been delivered and created in the past. As we’ve said for years, newspapers were never an industry that plowed profits into research and development. When you’re a monopoly making huge amounts of... [Read more]

Reflecting on the year that was

This is the time of year when the news business churns out its best and worst of lists. For the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild, CWA Local 37082, the year began with news that the Seattle Post-Intelligencer would cease print publication, which the final edition on March 18. Most of the staff was laid off, including about 110 Guild-CWA members. At the same time, The Seattle Times announced the need... [Read more]