State-level legislation to hold law enforcement officers’ and public officials’ feet to the fire when they violate journalists’ rights is long overdue. Of especially strong concern is officers’ mistreatment of journalists, including those with press credentials; abuses range in severity from detention to injurious assault, and it’s a growing trend that needs to be stopped. […]
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NEW YORK — U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Michael Wiles approved the sale of the McClatchy Company’s assets to Chatham Asset Management on Tuesday for $263 million in debt and $50 million in cash, with Chatham granting a new $87 million loan. The newspaper chain had filed for bankruptcy in February. An attorney for McClatchy, Van […]
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By Caroline GrannanPacific Media Workers Guild unit chair, San Francisco Chronicle David Perlman, the revered San Francisco Chronicle science writer and editor who started at the Chronicle in 1940 and retired 77 years later in 2017 when he was a vigorous 98 years old, died June 19 at age 101. Perlman, who became a Newspaper […]
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In an opinion that stands to help budget-constrained journalists and news outlets stay competitive, the California Supreme Court has declared that public agencies must bear the cost of redacting electronic records that members of the public request. The Pacific Media Workers Guild (the Guild) and the Society of Professional Journalists’ Northern California chapter can claim […]
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GENERAL BAR DATE INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYEES OF MCCLATCHY COMPANIES IN BANKRUPTCY REPRESENTED BY THE NEWSGUILD- CWA Almost every bankruptcy case includes establishment of a “bar date,” which is the deadline for identifying monetary claims against the company. Here, the Bankruptcy Court has approved the Motion of the McClatchy Companies to set a bar date of […]
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Join the First Amendment Coalition and SPJ NorCal for a virtual workshop on shield law protections. Learn what California and federal laws cover and what happens when the government or a private citizen uses the courts to try and unmask a confidential source or force the disclosure of unpublished newsgathering materials. Guest speakers will include […]
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To our colleagues: The COVID-19 outbreak is an unprecedented public health crisis. We are here to help. As union members you have many important protections against what we call “unilateral changes” to the terms and conditions of your work under our contract. When negotiating our contracts, we go to great lengths to define and control […]
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The Guild and several other open-government advocacy organizations are urging San Francisco Mayor London Breed to rescind a March 23 declaration indefinitely suspending certain parts of the city’s Sunshine Ordinance. Breed is using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to withhold City Hall records from journalists and other members of the public. “While some changes […]
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Menu (click to scroll) Unemployment Insurance Temporary Disability Insurance Workers Compensation Additional Resources UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE Use When: You’ve lost your job or had hours reduced. General Eligibility You must be either totally unemployed, or working less than your normal hours and earning less than your weekly benefit amount. You may be disqualified for eligibility for […]
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Without a doubt, we are living through an unprecedented challenge with this global pandemic. I hope this letter finds you and yours safe and healthy. We know you have a lot of concerns and questions about how and where to do your jobs, about how to get paid and in general, about how to navigate […]
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by Bill Snyder Nearly every room in the Berkeley home Patricia Yollin shared with long-time partner Paul Chinn was filled with hippos of myriad types, shapes and sizes. She had come across a psychedelic stuffed hippo on a visit to Chicago years ago and “became a bit obsessed. We have hundreds” said Chinn. Yollin, a […]
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Guild Sisters and Brothers, The following is from Christine Peek, the attorney representing the National Lawyers Guild’s Bay Area chapter vs. the City of Hayward in a FOI-related matter that the Guild and SPJ NorCal joined, siding with the NLG, as amici. Please note: The California Supreme Court is to hear oral arguments Tuesday, March […]
Read MoreThe First Amendment Coalition is proud to announce the launch of a series of Freedom of Information Boot Camps for journalists interested in using the California Public Record Act and other laws to shed light on government agencies across the state. Led by FAC attorneys, these sessions will provide journalists tools to improve their reporting, whether daily […]
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Dear Guild Members, Balloting for the Local Election of President of the Pacific Media Workers Guild closed at 12 pm pacific on December 10th. The Local Election Committee met at 3 pm that afternoon to count the ballots. As of today, December 20th, the LEC officially certifies the results of the Local election: Derek Moore […]
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