No slouches in the ironic humor department, the guild freelancers created a special slot for former Washington Post investigative reporter, Rick Redfern, a Doonesbury character who lost his job in a reduction in force in 2008 and who has been freelancing ever since.

Redfern gets a snazzy new press credential from the freelance unit. His creator, Garry Trudeau, forwarded Redfern’s gratitude to the freelance unit chair, Rebecca Rosen Lum.

Trudeau, through his Redfern alter ego, has been sticking it to the Huffington Post for its abuses of freelance bloggers. The HuffPo operates on the principle that freelance means “free” work product, knowing full well that the work is valued and valuable. Ariana received a $4 million salary after the HuffPo sale to AOL. That’s why the guild freelancers and the national Guild-CWA launched the “Hey Arianna, Can You Spare a Dime?” campaign after the sale.

Click to the guild freelancers piece here.

Art licensed by Garry Trudeau 2012.