Dear Canadian Media Guild member,
You will soon vote as part of The NewsGuild-CWA in a historic re-run election, following three appeals. As you likely know, CMG normally uses online voting for its own elections. This election, however, will be by mail ballot to your home by early November.
Because of the re-run, we are asking members to vote again. You now have a second chance to elect a new leader for the International Guild and reform our union.
The NewsGuild is a group of local media unions in the Communications Workers of America, the umbrella organization to which the Canadian Media Guild belongs. The president of the NewsGuild sits on the CWA board and helps determine policies and strategies for addressing media workplace issues.
The NewsGuild represents about 20,000 total members, including CBC/Radio-Canada, the New York Times, the Washington Post and, most recently, the Los Angeles Times and Buzzfeed.
While Canadian issues are mostly addressed through CWA Canada, The NewsGuild offers you an additional voice in our union.
Who is Jon Schleuss?
– Jon was a leader in the successful unionizing effort at the Los Angeles Times, a notoriously anti-union company. He knows what union strength looks like in 2019 and how to put it to work for our members.
– Jon is currently a data and graphics reporter at the Los Angeles Times. He understands the many challenges faced by workers in our industry and has fresh ideas to face them. His opponent, Bernie Lunzer, has not worked in a media workplace for about three decades.
– Jon believes it’s time for a new approach and a changing of the guard at the top of our union. In his nearly dozen years as president, Lunzer has squandered many opportunities to grow and modernize our union in ways that would mean more clout to the bargaining table for all of us.
– Jon has traveled to Canada to listen to your concerns and make them his priorities. He is prepared to tackle issues like funding the CBC and the future of Postmedia. He is determined to strengthen representation for CP, APTN, TVO and other Canadian media outlets.
– Jon is emphasizing the urgent need to make our union more transparent and democratic. The fact that this election had to be re-run is a symptom of a union that’s out of touch.
– Jon has the support of a growing list of current and retired leaders of The NewsGuild — from the New York Times, the Washington Post, The New Yorker, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Philadelphia Inquirer and many others.
– Jon has been endorsed by former CMG President Lise Lareau.
Ballots will be mailed to your home by the American Arbitration Association by Oct. 25. You should fill it out and put it back in the mail (no extra postage required) as soon as possible. Votes will be counted on Dec. 10.
Thank you,
The Campaign to Elect Jon Schleuss
For more information visit: JonForPresident.com