Shannon Duffy: An Update on Truthout's Union From the
National Newspaper Guild
[Shannon Duffy is a union organizer. He has been the business manager
of TNG-CWA 36047, the St. Louis Newspaper Guild, since September, 2005
and is currently Truthout's union representative.]
http://www.truth-out.org/truthouts-union-new-media-and-labor-movement62273
An Update on Truthout's Union From the National Newspaper Guild
Thursday 12 August 2010
by: Shannon Duffy, t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed
[Editor's Note: From the beginning of our original organizing effort,
Truthout's union representative, Shannon Duffy, has supported Truthout
staff throughout the unionizing process. He continues to guide our
members towards solidifying our groundbreaking contract as the first
online-only media organization to be unionized. - Sari Gelzer (Unit
Chair)]
The recently completed contract talks with Truthout mark the end of a
rather eventful year at one of our Guild's newest bargaining units.
And Truthout's staff - union and nonunion alike - are to be
congratulated for hanging in there and reaching a tentative agreement.
All that remains now is for the tentative agreement to be distributed
to the membership and a ratification vote to be held (and a special
shout out to Guild Rep. Jay Schmitz for the vital role he played in
shepherding the process along).
When workers at Truthout voted (almost unanimously) to join our union,
the online publication was in dire straights. Their former director
had departed, leaving a broken budget and a trail of debt that
demanded immediate attention. Painful belt tightening then ensued.
Truthout's new director makes less than one quarter of the previous
director's salary, and she has ended the practice of having mostly
independent contractors perform full-time work for the web site. All
employees of Truthout are actually employees - meaning they are
entitled to negotiated benefits including health care and retirement.
Along with employee status comes the fact that everyone also now earns
a living wage.
Truthout has changed in other ways, too. No longer does the site
mostly repost articles from other sources; instead, the publication
now generates most of its own content. As a result, relationships with
other media - print and digital - have been repaired and strengthened.
And it is here, I believe, where Truthout's association with the Guild
- and its Principles of Professionalism and Honesty in the News Media
- can be highly beneficial (are you listening, other online
publications?). No matter how the delivery system morphs or evolves,
the ability to tell a truthful, compelling story is something that
will always be in demand. Our union has decades of experience with
issues that challenge that ability - whether it be setting a standard
for quality journalism or defending free speech in newsrooms, in
courtrooms and in the hearing rooms of Washington, DC. Such experience
and first amendment expertise are key assets for any media entity, and
for those with whom we have a relationship, are theirs for the asking.
Since its unionization and reorganization, Truthout has worked hard to
uphold and even strengthen its integrity. It has launched an
internship program to help support new reporters and editors, and its
recent investigative reports - related to oil drilling, for example -
have been garnering high marks by mainstream media. For that - and
more - this plucky publication deserves to survive and prosper. It's
been an eventful year, and I commend Truthout for living its values of
accountability and transparency.
Truthout's Union Members belonging to The Newspaper Guild -
Communication Workers of America Local 36047 include: Jason Leopold,
William Rivers Pitt, Mark Karlin, Leslie Thatcher, Sari Gelzer, Matt
Renner, Annie Stoddard, Joshua Jacobo, Kendel Gordon, Alexa
deMonterice, Lance Page, Jared Rodriguez.
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