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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Guild Action and Resources re: COVID-19
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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Tribute to Pat Yollin, Guild Member and Storyteller
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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March 3rd Oral Arguments on FOI Case, NLG Bay Area Chapter vs. the City of Hayward
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 MoreFAC Launches In-Depth FOI Training Sessions for Journalists
The 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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Election Results are in!
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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Chronicle Shopnotes — what is this strange place, and where’d they move the newsroom?
The Great Newsroom Spring-Cleaning-in-Autumn saw dumpster after dumpster filled to overflowing with the dog-eared contents of dozens of office filing cabinets. Into the dustbins of history (where they’re keeping the former Metro cars company) went notebooks full of data about the Zodiac, Synanon, Scientology, the Occupy Movement, felonies great and small, AIDS, S.F. City College, […]
Read MoreSPJ NorCal calls for Sacramento PD to affirm journalists’ rights
The Society of Professional Journalists released this statement on Wednesday: In March, Sacramento police detained three journalists while they were reporting on a citizens’ protest over the fatal shooting by officers of Stephon Clark, an unarmed 22-year-old black man. The detention served no public purpose and could have been avoided if Sacramento PD had a […]
Read MoreGuild members honored for journalistic excellence
The Guild congratulates several of our sisters and brothers who are to receive awards in November for journalistic excellence. Julia Cheever and Daniel Montes of Bay City News Service, and Charles Desmarais and Lauren Hernandez of the San Francisco Chronicle will be honored at the San Francisco Press Club’s Greater Bay Area Journalism Awards Dinner […]
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2019 Membership Referendum Results
Dear PMWG Local 39521 Members,Thank you to all who voted in the 2019 Guild Membership Referendum.Both provisions of the referendum passed, with the following results: Local Membership voted to make the Local’s lead officer an appointed role, rather than elected. Now the Executive Officer will be appointed by the Local Executive Committee. Additionally, our Interpreters […]
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