Get Involved with the NWU!

Our union is a collective effort. We have many ways you can participate, learn, contribute, and shape the Local Chapter and our collective future as writers. In short, many ways to make the union work for you. Some union activities are big, some small, all very different, but all very, very important. Anything you do makes a difference.

Please look over the list of activities below, for which the Local Chapter needs volunteers, and check out the more complete descriptions that follow. Consider which fit your time and interests, and either email @Chair, or call our local 3 Coordinator at the office (510.839.1248), to get plugged in. The union is you.

Sincerely,
Al Weinrub
Former Chair, Bay Area NWU Local Chapter
Current National 1st Vice President

Local 3 Volunteer/Community Activities

Description of Volunteer Activites

Contract advising and grievance handling

One of the most indispensable services the union provides its members is contract advice and grievance handling--provided voluntarily by a cadre of skilled union members. We are always looking for additional Local 3 members to learn this skill, not only for their own benefit, but for the benefit of other members. Very personally rewarding work.

Conditions: Work is done out of your own home. Union members are referred to you by the NWU national office, depending on your expertise and region. You provide advice or handle grievances using the resources of more experienced members of the contract and grievance division. Work performed mostly by phone and email.

Time Commitment: You set the number of concurrent cases you can handle. Contact the Greivance & Contract division directly @advice

Public speaking about the union (Speakers Bureau)

Speak enthusiastically and convincingly about the work of the National Writers Union to organizations, journalism and writing classes, and new members of the union (membership orientations). Requires familiarity with the structure, benefits, campaigns, and activities of Local 3. Training and mentorship is available. Very exciting work.

Conditions: Work requires you to make public presentations, often alone, with support from the office and other members of the Speakers Bureau. Occasional travel might be required, as Local 3 covers large geographic area.

Time Commitment: You would be expected to make three or four presentations per year. Contact @Chair

Exciting office work! we even have mass mailings

Spend a couple hours doing routine, but extremely important, office work, such as mailings, usually with a small work group. The most typical cases are monthly mailings of Hearsay newsletter and counting election ballots. A good way to get to know other union members.

Conditions: Work usually performed at the Local 3 office in downtown Oakland, normally in the early evening or on a Saturday afternoon. A work party normally includes refreshments and scintillating conversation.

Time Commitment: You can volunteer a few times per year, or more often as you wish. There is no limit. Contact @Chair

Research and writing

This activity is broadly defined depending on the research and writing needs of a given project. Here are some examples of research needed: writing articles for Hearsay newsletter (usually 500-1000 words); local bookstore venues for NWU's "On the Road" self-promotion guide; electronic rights news/issues for the Writers eRights Resource Center; e-publishing opportunities and contracts language; pending legislative bills/ballot initiatives and their impacts on writers.

Conditions: Work is usually done out of your own home in close coordination with project directors and other researchers. Generally requires internet access, persistence, and good writing skills. You make a tangible, significant contribution to the union.

Time Commitment: Negotiated with project director and can be significant for the duration of any given research project, driven by schedule. Contact @Chair

Conducting interviews for the Bay Area Chapter newsletter/website

Conduct and write up interviews with union members for our newsletter and website, to project the diversity of the union and its importance to its members. Editor and Webmaster supplies names of interviewees.

Conditions: Interviews best performed face to face, but have been done remotely. Normally rigid deadlines.

Time Commitment: Several hours per interview. But interviews need not be done monthly, especially if more than one person is volunteering for this activity. Contact @Webmaster

Offering your home for a group meeting

Local 3 often needs a place for a small union meeting of ten to fifteen members, for example, for neighborhood orientation meetings, group meetings such as the Diversity Committee, and so forth. Usually held on weekday evenings, and preferably close to a BART line.

Conditions: Done at home, little preparation needed, arrangements made with meeting organizer. Nice way to use a living room or large dining area.

Time Commitment: Usually a single evening with some cleanup time. Contact @Chair

Offering your home to a touring union member

Authors are increasingly having to market and promote their works, usually by touring the country doing readings and making presentations. The NWU has set up an Authors Network on a national level, offering union members a place to stay for a night or two when visiting a local area to promote their work. Local 3 needs locations throughout the Bay Area where visiting authors can crash. This is a great way to make use of that extra bedroom and help a union member out.

Conditions: Done at home, little preparation needed, arrangements made with individual visiting author. Normally a bed and breakfast kind of arrangement. Nice way to get to know authors around the country.

Time commitment: Usually small, depending on situation. Contact @Chair

Tabling at events or conferences

Local 3 often has a presence at writers gatherings and political events through staffing a table with information about the union and our activities. Staffing usually consists of two people at a time, who answer questions and distribute literature about the union. No experience is necessary, as we try to pair new people with a more experienced tabler.

Conditions: Normally provides entrance to various events, with an opportunity to engage people in conversation. Local 3 office makes arrangements and prepares literature box. You might have to keep track of money and carry literature between office and event.

Time Commitment: Normally a four hour stint, depending on the event, either on an evening or a weekend day. Contact @Chair

Telephoning members for specific events

Call a list of union members to involve them in an event or activity. For example, rounding up volunteers for a mailing party, calling members to take a particular action, etc. This is an important way for human contact between members, which is much more effective than email, even when you speak to an answering machine.

Conditions: Done from home according to your own schedule. Names and telephone numbers, and background information provided by office.

Time Commitment: Negotiated with project director, depending on length of call list. Contact @Chair

Building and maintaining web pages

As we become more sophisticated in our use of the web, Local 3 requires more help in designing, building, and maintaining web pages. Our requirements are increasing as the level of Local 3 activity increases. We need different web masters to maintain different parts of our web site.

Conditions: Done from home in coordination with Local 3 Coordinator, webmaster, and project coordinators. Need to maintain consistency of style.

Time Commitment: Negotiated with project coordinator, depending on project needs. Usually will require monthly updates to information. Contact @Webmaster

Public Relations, Publicity

Local 3 has been traditionally poor at publicising and advertising its events and activities. We need help in enhancing, maintaining, and using our outreach database to advertise our union and our events, both in news media and community calendars. We need to set up systems and we need to follow up regularly with publicity outlets. This includes both traditional and electronic outlets.

Conditions: Work done through union office, on a project by project, event by event basis. Could also involve work done at home by telephone or email.

Contact @Chair

Saturday, May 17, 2008 10:39 am