The NewsGuild of New York's 2019 Local and Unit Elections

11/22/2019


Every three years, the NewsGuild of New York has nominations and elections for leadership roles throughout our union. An open nomination process and vigorous participation in Guild elections is a key part of a democratic, member-led union. Strong, effective, and accountable leadership is how we collectively ensure we’re  fighting for the right things, and that we win! For more information on unit elections, please scroll to the bottom of this page. 

Make your voice heard! Learn more about the elected positions at the Local (meaning the NewsGuild of New York) and in our workplaces (which we call “units”).


Our Local (the NewsGuild of New York) is also electing officers and members of the Local Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is the Local's administrative body. Every Unit Chair serves on the Executive Committee, as do Local Officers and a slate of 16 Guild members. All of its members, except for the President who fulfills the office on a full-time basis, are working Guild members. The Local Chair presides over the Executive Committee meetings. In accordance with the Guild’s bylaws, the Local elections must happen every three years.

The rules and conduct of the election are overseen by the Guild's Local Election Committee (LEC), which is comprised of Guild members. The LEC  members are Leslie Adler (Reuters), Deb Amlen (New York Times), Noreen Browne (Consumer Reports), Brian Kennedy (New York Times) and Susan Rotondi (S&P Global). 

Up for Election: President, Secretary-Treasurer, Local Chair, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Third Vice President,  and sixteen Executive Committee members

Term of Office: January 2, 2020 - January 1, 2023

The complete rules for the Local election can be found here.

 

ELECTION UPDATES:

HAVE YOU RECEIVED YOUR BALLOT? (Nov. 6, 2019)

There have been two NewsGuild election ballots in the mail.  The first is for our Local — The NewsGuild of New York. This election is for the union’s Executive Committee, including the President, Secretary-Treasurer, and Local Chair. Members who are considered in good standing as of September 30, 2019, should have received a ballot.

 

The second ballot is for the re-run of the presidential election for  our parent union, the News Guild-CWA International. Ballots were sent to all members in good standing as of August 31, 2019. (Please note that the International has constitutional provisions that define an eligible voting member as a dues-paying member.) 

Our Local Election Information

Ballots were mailed on October 25th to all members in good standing as of September 30, 2019, per the rules approved by the Guild’s Local Election Committee. 

If you haven’t received your ballot, or accidentally disqualified your ballot, immediately call 1-800-529-5218 (Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or email ulerios@adr.org with your request for a new one; include your full name and address and make sure you note that you’re a member of the The NewsGuild of New York. Ballots are due back to the American Arbitration Association (AAA), the third-party organization that will count these votes, by no later than 1 p.m. on November 22. All eligible votes will be counted that day. Please make sure that if you have not yet received your ballot, to request a new one without delay. 

Our Local is facing a contested election for the Guild’s top officers. Incumbent Grant Glickson and challenger Susan DeCarava have each put forth a slate of Guild members who have been nominated to serve on the Executive Committee. 

Glickson’s “Members First” slate and DeCarava’s “Guild Forward” slate will join recently elected Unit Chairs in making up the Guild’s Executive Committee. 

You can learn more about our election, including the election rules, on our website

TNG-CWA Election Information

Ballots for the TNG-CWA presidential re-run were mailed on October 24th to all members in good standing as of August 31, 2019. 

If you haven’t received your ballot, immediately request your replacement through the American Arbitration Association at 1-800-529-5218 (M-F, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or ulerios@adr.org. Make sure you note that this is for the TNG-CWA presidential re-run. Ballots are due back to the AAA P.O. Box by 5 p.m. Dec. 9. Votes will be tallied on Dec. 10. 

On August 12th, The Sector Election and Referendum Committee (the objective body overseeing the election) voted to order a re-run of the original election upon ruling on a particular challenge.. In this election, Jon Schleuss is challenging Bernie Lunzer for the seat of president. 

More information about the re-run as well as the candidates can be found on the News Guild-CWA website

 

BALLOTS HAVE BEEN SENT  (Oct. 31, 2019)

Be on the lookout for your NewsGuild of New York election ballot coming to your mailbox soon. Members in good standing will be eligible to vote in this local election for the NewsGuild of New York’s leadership, which includes the positions of President, Secretary-Treasurer, Local Chair, Vice Presidents and the rest of the Executive Committee.

Per the Guild’s constitution, all members in good standing receive a ballot to vote. If you’re unsure that you’re a member in good standing, reach out to your Local Representative immediately. If you haven’t received a ballot (by the end of the first week of November), call 1-800-529-5218, Monday through Friday between 9-5 or email ulerios@adr.org with your full name and address to request a new ballot. Make sure to note that you're a member of the NewsGuild of New York. 

Reminder: Currently, there is also a re-run of the presidential election for the News Guild-CWA International. Those ballots have also been sent and will be hitting mailboxes shortly if they haven’t already. Learn more about the international election here

 

GUILD TO HOST CONTESTED ELECTION

Upon the closing of the nomination period for top officials of the NewsGuild of New York, incumbent Grant Glickson as well as challenger Susan DeCarava have been nominated for president of the Local. 

Both Glickson and DeCarava have each put forth a slate of 21 Guild members who have been nominated to serve on the Executive Committee. Their slates —

Glickson’s “Members First” and DeCarava’s “Guild Forward” — will join recently elected Unit Chairs in making up the Guild’s Executive Committee, the local’s governing body. 

Glickson has served as President of the Local since 2017. To learn more about Glickson’s campaign, visit his website

DeCarava has been a Guild Local Representative for 11 years. To learn more about DeCarava’s campaign, visit her website

Each candidate and their respective slate is listed below. 

The election will be conducted by mail. Ballots will be sent out by October 25.

Please make sure your mailing address is up-to-date with the Guild. You can either contact your rep with updated contact information or change your address directly in the Member Portal

Votes will be counted on November 22, 2019. All positions will serve a three-year term beginning on January 2, 2020. 


What’s a Nomination Meeting? Where does it happen?
A nomination meeting is the opportunity for potential candidates to announce their intention to run for an elected leadership position within the Guild or to be nominated to run. All nominations must be seconded (a statement of support of the original nomination) by another member, i.e.,. This formal meeting gathers Guild officials and members together to learn about the election and know who will be running. 

In the case of unit-specific elections, these meetings will usually happen at your office (of course, that depends on what the unit decides). Regarding the Local-wide election, the nomination meeting, which is taking place on September 17, will happen at The NewsGuild of New York headquarters at 1500 Broadway, Suite 900.

 

What if I want to nominate someone, but can’t attend the meeting? 
No problem! Nominations can be made either at the meeting or in writing. You can write your nomination and deliver by hand, the mail, email, or (if you really want to) fax. Seconds (you only need one) must also accompany your nomination. All written and seconded nominations are due to our Local Election Committee counsel, Hanan B. Kolko at 900 Third Avenue, Suite 2100, New York, NY 10022 or via email at hkolko@cwsny.com. Again, if you really want to fax, you can do so at 212-563-6527. 

Note: In order to nominate a member to run, you must be in good standing as a Guild member as of August 31, 2019. Not sure if you are? Ask your Local Representative. 

 

If I write in a nomination, what happens next? 
Make sure that in your nomination, you include appropriate and working contact information for your candidate so that the Guild’s Election Committee (which oversees this entire process) can get in touch with the candidate. Once you nominate and have a second, you’re done! The Election Committee will make sure to notify all nominated candidates. 

 

Can I nominate myself?
You sure can! You can do so at the nominations meeting or via write-in (follow the instructions above). 

For the Local-wide election, know that the Guild must receive written confirmation (at the address above) from that candidate stating they wish to run no later than noon on October 4, 2019. 

 

Why does the Guild have to mail ballots? Can we just vote electronically? 
We hear you. Electronic voting is much, much easier. Unfortunately, until the Department of Justice says unions can utilize electronic voting, we have to continue to mail ballots to the membership. If you want to get really nerdy on this: Union officer elections are governed by the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, which is enforced by the DOJ. You can read more about that here

 

Who receives ballots? 
For NewsGuild of New York elections, if a candidate is running unopposed, then that individual is declared the winner. But in case of a challenger, then the Guild automatically begins the process to get ballots together to mail to members. When it’s a unit-specific election, only those members receive ballots to vote for their Unit Chair or Unit Secretary, for example. 

When it comes to the Local election — which concerns the President, Secretary-Treasurer, Local Chair, and so on — all members in good standing receive a ballot to vote in the mail. 

 

Am I eligible to vote?
In order to be eligible to vote, you must be a  member in good standing. This classic union term simply means that you have signed a membership card, are paid up on your dues (if applicable), and currently working in a NewsGuild-represented unit. 

For this year’s election, you must be a member in good standing as of September 30, 2019. If you’re unsure about your standing, contact your Local Representative.

 

When will I receive my ballot?

Ballots will be mailed out no later than October 25, 2019, for the NY Guild Local election

For Unit-specific elections, ballot will be sent out no later than September 27, 2019. 

 

How does a mail-in ballot work in Guild elections?
Whether it’s a unit or Local-wide election, the NY Guild’s procedures are generally the same. You will receive a ballot by mail at the address the Guild has on record. Make sure that you do not put any identifying information on the ballot. You’ll place your ballot in a smaller envelope and then place that smaller envelope in the return envelope. On that outer envelope, you’ll sign and print your name on the designated lines. Know that ballots returned in an unsigned outer envelope will not be counted!

 

What do I do if I didn’t get a ballot? What do I do if I messed up my ballot? 
No worries. If you didn’t get your ballot or accidentally disqualified your ballot, you can call 1-800-529-5218, Monday through Friday between 9-5 or email ulerios@adr.org with your full name and address. Make sure to note that you're a member of the NewsGuild of New York, Local 31003.

 

When are ballots due? When will they be tallied?
For the Local election, make sure to get your ballots on or before November 22. The American Arbitration Association, the third-party organization that will count these votes, will retrieve the votes from the post office no earlier than 1 p.m. on November 22. All eligible votes will be counted that day. 

For unit-specific elections, though the dates might change slightly based off your unit’s election timetable, all ballots are due no later than October 18, 2019, when all eligible votes will be tallied.


Each NewsGuild of New York unit elects its own Unit Council, including a Unit Chair, Secretary, First Vice Chair and so forth. Though the specific dates vary slightly shop to shop regarding the election, the rules remain the same. To read the complete rules of your specific unit’s election procedures, please follow the link to your shop below. 


In accordance with the Guild’s  bylaws, all units are required to host elections before the third Saturday in October “every third year.” For example, in 2016, 2019, 2022, etc.


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