Together We are Making the Guild Stronger

08/19/2021

By Susan DeCarava

As you know, balloting has concluded on the #GuildStrong referendum.

I am pleased to report that an overwhelming majority -- 1,246 -- voted YES, while 559 voted NO. We have just successfully passed the first dues increase in our union’s 88-year history. 

This referendum was about more than just our finances. It was about our vision for building a fighting, member-led union. Our union has been intentionally moving away from the business-as-usual servicing model that has come to dominate the labor movement over the past 70 years, much to the benefit of employers, and toward the organizing model that gives workers real power in the workplace. Now, thanks to your overwhelming support, our Guild will have the resources needed to continue our transformation into a fighting union that is raising pay, diversity and job security standards (just to name a few) for workers across our industry. 

I was heartened to see so many of you embrace our transformative vision for reforming the Guild with our election in January 2020, and especially over the last few months. I was grateful for your support then, and I am grateful for it now. Nearly 30 units endorsed the referendum for a stronger Guild and countless numbers of you took to social media to share selfies explaining why you were voting yes.

I want to personally thank everyone who participated in this ballot referendum, no matter how you voted. Being a democratic union means that we foster debate and discussion, and we don’t shy away from disagreement. But it also means that when the dust settles, we will always join together in common purpose. The referendum prompted many welcome discussions about how we can work together to make our union more transparent, responsive, effective and sustainable, and in the coming months, we will be sharing more information about how Guild members can become more involved in crafting our collective future. Our power is rooted in our unity. Let’s move forward together.


Susan DeCarava
President, NewsGuild of New York
August 17, 2021

 

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