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The meeting was held at SEIU local 250’s hall on Tuesday, March 2, 2004. In attendance were Jack Rasmus (chair), Maggie Robbins (Treasurer), Alice Rogoff, Mickey Ellinger, and Chris Berg. David Brody and Larry Shoup called prior and were excused for medical reasons. Rick Knee indicated he would be out of town.

The meeting was called to order and agenda approved. Minutes of the last meeting were approved.

Chair Report

Jack Rasmus provided the chair report. Jack reported on the NEB meeting Feb. 13, noting membership and financial issues were the primary issues being considered at the national level. Changes in the hotline were coming, the offshoring campaign being launched, a possible audit of the national office books, and a membership campaign was in the works. NWU membership has declined to 4500 from more than 7000 in 2000. The national officers were planning to take a 6 month pay cut to improve union reserves. The national office was also considering setting up a Legislative Action center and investigating how to find some new health insurance for members, but no progress on this matter yet. Jack noted we were now properly represented on the national website re. correct contact information for local chapter 3, which previously was absent. The NEB would be sending out emails to members soon.

Jack reported on the correct interpretation of how many chapter delegates we had at this time, per the NEB’s rules. The local chapter had the same number as elected prior to the last Delegate Assembly, and this would not change until new elections prior to the next assembly. The number of delegates for the local does not fluctuate between elections. Several positions were now open due to resignations. Al Weinrub, now national VP, indicated he would resign his position as well.

Jack indicated that Carol Anne Carroll, GCO director, had agreed to provide a regular written communication on cases by members, which we would then edit and place on the website. Jack agreed to edit and submit to Chris for publication on our local website.

Jack reported on conversations with Biztech SC member Andreas Ramos, and a conversation with ex-member Kathleen McNamara who we are trying to get back to join and head up the Journalist group in the local. Jack noted he would like to see regular reports on the website by those SC members heading up the genre groups and we needed to work with Chris to ensure there was more visibility on the website for these reports. After discussion, it was agreed the genre heads would be responsible for the content, as they saw fit, for their website reports and didn’t require prior review by chair or the SC for their content.

Jack reported he had been in contact with Margaret Bowen of the Independent Press Association. They were interested in co producing a half day workshop on copyright with us and would do the logistics and we would send a rep to speak. Jack will follow up before the next SC meeting and report. Jack noted there was a Labor Tech Conference at Stanford University in early april we have been invited to send speakers to as well.

Treasurers Report

Maggie reported we had a balance in our account of about $1200 to date, and an unknown amount being held for the local chapter in the national office which she had to contact and confirm. Maggie has been in contact with the new national treasurer, Tom Gradel, and hopes to have clarification about our national balance and how to access it. She noted there were two open issues she was still working on. One was our membership records per the national office after September 2003. The other was transferring the WASP transactions to the local’s Paypal account from Stephanie’s and getting a full and final report on that project’s costs and sales from Andreas.

Membership Task Force (Organizing) Report

Mickey reported we have 450 members in local chapter 3 as best we can determine. The task force committee met on Feb. 19 and agreed on a strategy of focusing on our 151 lapsed members over the past 6 months and approaching them by genre groups for phone calling, emailing and other means. Mickey will coordinate the task for poetry and fiction, along with Alice Rogoff. Andreas and Lisa for Biztech. David and Larry of the Book genre. And Jack and TBD for journalism. These people would be asked to expand their genre groups to more members and together approach those lapsed members in their genre once the campaign was launched in April. Mickey agreed to draft a script for callers talking points and Jack will draft a survey to help gather data on why people left and why they will or won’t come back. The task force will continue to meet before the next SC meeting to draft materials, script, survey, contact lists, benefits lists, and arrange a kick off event for the organizing campaign.

Group Genre Reports

Poetry & Fiction: Alice Rogoff reported the next P&F meeting will be April 3 in SF. Margaret Benshoof-Holler is organizing a women’s panel in May at the Sunset branch of the SF Library. We’ve been asked to co-sponsor a Laborfest poetry reading in July. Alice suggested we consider doing a periodical contract workshop with Steve Turner similar to the book workshop we did with Steve in December.

BizTech: Jack reported on brief written update provided by Andreas Ramos to the chair, to be read in his absence.

Book: No report

Journalism: No report. (Jack provided more detail on his discussions with Kathleen McNamara about heading up this group).

Webmaster Report

Chris urged all to review and use the website. The email address is @postings to send in information re. calendar events, editorials, division content, or any other site content for posting. Mickey accepted the role of editing and Chris will continue to post. Chris provided information on the Legislative Action Center, and handed out copies of a new local webpage example on Media Democracy (see Chris’s motions under New Business).

Discussion followed on the timing of our ‘Email Blasts’ to the membership. It was agreed we’d try to do this every 2 weeks. Information must be sent to Chris by Saturday, first and third weekends of the month, and he would set up an ‘Events@email’ to send in contributions. Chris would review on Mondays. No editing would be done, but sent out as received by Chris. Chris would ‘blast’ on Wednesdays twice a month. Mickey agreed to serve as interim ‘prodder’ to get content sent in by SC and others to Chris.

Labor Council Reports

Alice Rogoff reported on events in progress at the SF labor council. No report on Alameda labor council in Larry’s absence

UAW Relations Report

Jack reported he had contacted the UAW and would have further discussions with them to report at the next meeting.

Old Business

General discussion followed on the Membership Organizing Report by Mickey, reported above.
The following motion was proposed: “The chair inform those elected alternate delegates to the delegate assembly of their access to the position of full delegates, as per the by-laws, and report the full delegates update list at the next SC". Motion passed.

New Business

Chris proposed three resolutions: 1. “Resolved: Local chapter 3 should support the Legislative Action Center being introduced by the NWU national office". Motion passed unanimously. 2. “Resolved: Local chapter 3 should endorse the idea of a Media Democracy campaign". Motion passed unanimously. 3. “Resolved: Local chapter 3 supports the local and diverse media ownership campaign initiated by the Santa Cruz chapter of the NWU". Motion passed unanimously.

Jack proposed the following motion: “Local chapter 3 of the National Writers Union, UAW 1981, endorses and supports the March 20 national demonstrations and march against the continued US occupation of Iraq; furthermore, local chapter 3 will inform and encourage its membership to attend the march 20 event in San Francisco". Motion passed.

Announcements

Members are needed to help carry the local banner at the March 20 demonstration and march, which will meet at Dolores Park at 11am near the restrooms. Jack will need assistance picking up the union banner around 10am from the office.

Minutes submitted by Mickey Ellinger and Jack Rasmus

Meeting Tuesday, July 6, 2004. Present: Jack Rasmus, Larry Shoup, Maggie Robbins, Mickey Ellinger. Jack called the meeting to order. Last month’s minutes were approved. Jack circulated a written report, which has been sent to all members by e-mail.

Report from the Chair

Our membership is now at 301.

The SEIU wants our office space. We have a 60-day notice from them (September 1). Kenya is talking with the building owner about possible other spaces.

We have several upcoming events for journalists ­ Saturday, July 10, Todd Pitock from Philadelphia will meet with our members and present at SPJ’s multi-cultural writer/editor conference. Our event with the Independent Press Association has been finalized for August 8.

There is now health insurance available for California members. We will send members an e-mail blast about it and do a postcard mailing.

We agreed to continue e-mail communications with members, to send a postcard about the health insurance, perhaps mail the national’s new brochure to lapsed members, and schedule a journalism genre meeting early in September.

Jack is going to the NEB meeting August 12-14. We approved incidental expenses not to exceed $250.

Treasurer’s Report

Maggie circulated a written report. We still do not have reports from the national about our finances. The SC directed Jack to raise this issue at the NEB.

Alameda County Central Labor Council

Larry reported on the June 22 meeting. The Labor Council is sponsoring Labor Day with the Oakland As, a tailgate party and going to the game. The CLC endorsed many Democrats. Larry wants to push for endorsing instant runoff voting, will educate SC about it and ask for endorsement at our August meeting.

San Francisco Labor Council

Alice reported through Jack that the search for a new ED has been narrowed to five finalists. There is a move to change the by-laws to have less frequent meeting.

Relations with other unions

No UAW CAP council meeting until September. Jack is meeting with Chuck Mack of the Teamsters later this month about legislation protecting independents. He¹s talking to folks at IIR, who know a lot about it. Met with someone from a writers group in Australia, set him up to meet w. Gerald Colby. He¹s interested in Pacific Rim writers conference.

Old Business

reiterated our summer organizing strategy

There is now health insurance available for California members. We will send members an e-mail blast about it and do a postcard mailing.

We agreed to continue e-mail communications with members, to send a postcard about the health insurance, perhaps mail the national¹s new brochure to lapsed members, and schedule a journalism genre meeting early in September.

No New business. Adjourned 8:30 pm

Respectfully submitted,

Mickey Ellinger, High Factotum of Meeting Notes

Meeting Tuesday, June 1, 2004. Present: Jack Rasmus, David Brody, Larry Shoup, Maggie Robbins, Alice Rogoff, Rick Knee, Mickey Ellinger. Jack Rasmus called the meeting to order. The minutes of the last meeting were approved.

Report from the Chair

A new health insurance benefit will be announced by the national soon, but is not yet public.

Jack met with Chuck Mack of the Teamsters about ways we might cooperate. They are also trying to organize/provide benefits for independent truckers and have some parallel problems (employees and independents working for the same trucking company). Ideas ranged from us piggy-backing on their health and welfare in some way to a coalition of unions with independent contractor members to work on legislation for our benefit, such as the right to collective bargaining. We discussed our members self-employed status and the complexities of becoming more like employees (some members might like this better than others). We agreed that we should learn more.

We are invited to speak at the Multi-cultural Writer-Editor Conference on July 9 and 10. We suggested that Jack ask Al Weinrub’s advice about who to ask to speak.

A joint event with the Independent Press Association is going forward but there’s no date yet. Jack will let us know and we’ll publicize it to the membership.

Treasurer’s Report

Maggie continues to manage our local account, which has a balance of about $1000, and not to get information from the national about our account being held there, which seems to total about $2000. Efforts to get documentation from the national have been unsuccessful. We agreed to summarize our concerns about our financial records and the database and communicate them to Jack to share with other local chairs. We support the new national leadership and understand they inherited a lot of difficulties, but we need some support we’re not getting.

Maggie suggests this procedure for getting checks written when the SC decides to allocate money to a person or organization. Maker of the motion should send information to Maggie so she can cut the check (including any necessary forms, addresses, etc.)

Membership Task Force

Mickey reported that calls to lapsed members may have been made to 25 or 30 people and that others who said they would do them haven’t. We agreed to try one more round of calls to people who said they would call people to get them to do it, that Mickey would summarize the results we have, and that we’d ask SC members to do another round of calls after our July meeting.

Proposed next steps to recruit new members:

* e-mail follow-up on postcard. Encourage current members to invite potential members to events.
* Produce an interim local brochure to be supplemented or replaced by a new national brochure when one is available. We have Rick’s draft; feedback to Rick and Mickey. Mickey will produce copies for our upcoming events (book, poetry/fiction, biz/tech) and to take to the Editor1s Forum on June 9, etc.
* Think about other places to have tables, members of boards, etc., that increases our visibility.

Action items: Mickey will call volunteers and try to get them to call lapsed members. She will circulate a summary of lapsed member survey results so far. She will try to recruit volunteers to represent the union at events.

Alameda Labor Council

Larry reports on SEIU sponsored Golden Gate Bridge Walk for Health June 19, circulated information from Voice@Work on employer interference in worker’s abilities to organize, circulated information on changes in workers’ compensation, thanked SC for endorsing Million Workers March, plans to make personal donation in union’s name, gives address if others wish to do the same (Million Worker March, ILWU #10, 400 Northpoint, SF 94133)

SF Labor Council

Alice made a report to the council on offshoring, referred members to Andreas Ramos web site, etc. Reported a presentation on the Patriot Act on June 3, anti-war demo on June 5. The progressive caucus with which she has been meeting succeeded in diversifying the Executive Board in the last elections.

Poetry/Fiction Group

Alice reports that regular meeting impends June 12. Maggie will go and make pitch for people to join the union. Mickey will see she has copies of the new brochure.

Book Group

Michael Parenti and (we hope) David Bacon will talk about experiences with publishers. Larry and David will encourage conversation about what people want from the book group, introduce the speakers, moderate Q&A. Jack will attend and pitch union membership. Mickey will send e-mail to members with RSVP information and directions to David1s.

Old Business

The ergonomics workshop with Maggie and Jeanne Lahai will take place in August or later. No date yet. Maggie will talk to Jack about possible venues.

Rick reminds us that he proposes we appoint a union member that isn’t him to represent the union at the California First Amendment Coalition assembly in October. He would like us to make a donation to the assembly and suggests it could be from all the California locals. We agreed he’d try to reach Chris Berg and work with him on it, come back to SC if that doesn’t work out.

New Business

Rick brought information about two pending bills about media access to prisoners. He will e-mail information to SC members and a motion endorsing one bill and opposing the other. We will read the info and send Jack our vote on the motion.

Announcements

Green Party forum on “Labor and Independent Politics", Sunday June 13, 5 p.m., 5601 Telegraph in Oakland.

Respectfully submitted,
Mickey Ellinger

Meeting Tuesday May 4, 2004. Present: Jack Rasmus (chair), Maggie Robbins (treasurer), Mickey Ellinger, Rick Knee, Alice Rogoff. Jack called the meeting to order at 7:15. Minutes of last meeting approved.

Report from the chair: New York is getting health insurance; we may be offered a plan in the next couple of weeks. NEC meets this weekend, and division meetings are also scheduled. Membership will be getting a mailing/update from the NEC describing national initiatives. National has sent us a survey about the author’s coalition, which is worth $250k to the National, so we should urge members to return it.

Contradiction betw. Hotline and Kathleen McNamara resolved, so Jack will see if she’s willing to lead the journalism group.

Workshop w. IPA mid to late June, book group event w. Michael Parenti and David Bacon on June 5.

2. Treasurer’s report. Maggie circulated a written report. Our local balance is about $1200, our national balance not entirely clear, but probably about $2000.

3. Membership task force (Mickey). Thirteen people took packets to survey lapsed members. Three have returned them, three more have promised to do so, I’m bugging the others. Even though our sample of returns is small, people really value the local events. Three people who came to the party expressed interest in local activities (a self-publishing group, recruiting younger members). Alice said people she called, poetry/fiction writers, felt we did not offer services to unpublished writers. We agreed we should think about what we can offer to writers at various levels of experience, ways to attract younger writers, ways to promote membership, such as gift memberships.

4. April 10 party. Agreed it was pretty good, and that next time we could be a little more systematic about making sure all our goals are met. (And rein in the speakers.)

5. Genre reports. See book above (June 5 event) and journalism news in chair’s report. No reports from biz-tech, web master. Poetry/fiction: had a group meeting in April w. guest who had worked in Mississippi prisons. Member Margaret Benshoof-Holler organized a program at an SF library branch. Very interesting but not very well attended. She may reschedule it at another library venue.

6. Labor council reports. No Alameda report. Walter Johnson is retiring. SF has revised its bylaws, replaced its secy-treasurer with an executive director. Progressive caucus is trying to get more women and minorities on the board.

7. Relations with UAW. Jack reports on UAW regional summer schools at Black Lake, Michigan, in July. We asked for more information so we could inform the membership about the schools.

OLD BUSINESS

1 . Book genre party at David Brody’s. Motion approved to pre-allocate $100 for party expenses.

2. Postcard of upcoming events. Motion approved to create a postcard. Mickey will create postcard and get it copied and cut, Mickey will make labels of current and lapsed members, Maggie will get stamps. Mickey needs event information by Friday May 21, mailing at Mickey’s house 3pm Sunday May 23. Calendar will include June 5 book group event, June poetry/fiction meeting, IPA joint workshop, journalism event. Jack will get IPA and journalism info to Mickey. Mickey will ask Andreas if there is a biz-tech event that should go on the calendar.

3. Mickey will e-mail members about author’s coalition survey.

NEW BUSINESS

1. Larry (via Jack) asks us to endorse Million Worker March October 24, Washington, D.C. Four Local 3 members working on it. Although the demands are somewhat unfocussed, we approved, with Rick abstaining.

2. Local 3 brochure. Motion approved to draft a new brochure for use at local events. Rick will take a crack at it. Mickey will send him materials the membership task force generated, which might help him.

3. Ergonomics workshops. Member Jean Lahaie is organizing such workshops with Pamela Vossenas (natl. internal organizing v-p). Maggie is experienced w. this and is working with them. We urged her to counsel Jean to take enough time to promote these workshops, which we think will be very popular.

4. Motion approved to endorse Laborfest and donate up to $25.

5. Rick raises several freedom of information/sunshine ordinance issues. We suggested he and Chris (legislative issues) get together and make a proposal we can put to the membership.

Adjourned 9:05 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Mickey Ellinger

Meeting Tuesday, April 6, 2004. Those in attendance: Jack Rasmus, Maggie Robbins, Dave Brody, Larry Shoup, Chris Berg. A motion was made and passed to approve minutes of the previous SC meeting.

Chair Report: Jack Rasmus

Jack reported on the upcoming April 10 chapter organizing kick off meeting. NWU president, Gerry Colby, will attend as will our UAW rep., Rudy Flores. Discussion followed on the plan to ‘roast’ Al Weinrub, past LC 3 chair, at the April 10 meeting. It was agreed we’d try to organize the effort if volunteers would step up to participate. Jack noted the SC members would be able to meet with Gerry for lunch before the meeting to discuss whatever they liked and the local would arrange a place and notify all. A journalist group meeting will also follow April 15, organized by Dian Killian from the NY office who will be in town at that time, and that a joint workshop with the IPA and NWU in SF was suggested by the IPA for June.
Treasurer’s Report: Maggie Robbins

Maggie reported that various data from the national office indicates our chapter has about a $2,300 balance as of January -February. However, there are some inconsistencies in the information sent that need to be cleared up. Dave Brody inquired about the process for getting information reports from the national office. Maggie indicated she was trying to clarify this. Discussion then followed on a motion to authorize officers of the chapter to spend funds for monthly billed expenses such as rent, telephone, email, utilities, plus occasional expenses for union business such as postage, printing, and office supplies. It was agreed by all present to allow such expenditures without a motion being required.

Group Genre Reports

Book: Larry Shoup reported a June 5 Book members meeting would be held at David Brody’s house. David Bacon and Michael Parenti were possible speakers.

Poetry & Fiction: Alice sent a written report on activities in SF which was read in her absence

Journalism: Jack reported on the planned April 15 meeting with Dian Killian and the proposed IPA workshop in June.

Tech: No report was provided by Andreas
Labor Council Reports:

Alameda Council: Larry Shoup reported on the ’save CSU’ efforts, the Million Worker March being organized by the ILWU, and the successful rally on April 7 for the Oakland 25 anti-war protesters.

SF Council: No Report

UAW Report: Jack reported on discussions held with Rudy Flores as a prelude to the April 10 meeting.

Webmaster Report

Chris Berg reported on updates and changes to the chapter’s website. Jack inquired about the status of our monthly email blasts. Jack suggested we find a way to give more visible priority to the Group chair reports on the website and the need to have a Grievance Report highlighted someway as well.

Legislative Committee Report

Jack reported that Dave Brody asked to be relieved of this responsibility due to personal matters. Jack moved that “Chris Berg be appointed as the new Chair of the Local Chapter 3 Legislative Committee". The motion was seconded and passed. Chris offered to come up with proposals for future activity of this new committee at the next SC meeting.

OLD BUSINESS

There was extended discussion following Mickey Ellinger’s report on the April 10 organizing meeting coming up at her house. Discussion followed on email blasts, mailings to members, packets with calling materials to lapsed members bforthose who attend, the agenda for the meeting, food and drink responsibilities, and the idea of roasting AL Weinrub. (Jack volunteered and Chris agreed as well if others could be found to participate).

NEW BUSINESS

Jack raised the following motion: “Local chapter 3 of the National Writers Union jointly work with the IPA (Independent Press Association) to sponsor, organize and participate in a one day workshop in San Francisco in mid-June, featuring NWU and IPA members as speakers". The motion carried.

Larry raised a motion to endorse the Million Worker March event scheduled for October in Washington DC. The motion was withdrawn pending providing more information about the MWM committee’s positions and their resolution, which would be brought by Larry to the next SC meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 PM.

The SC meeting was held Tuesday, February 3, 2004 at the SEIU Local 616 conference room on 17th st. in Oakland. Steering committee members in attendance: Jack Rasmus (chair), Maggie Robbins (Treasurer), David Brody, Alice Rogoff, Larry Shoup, Christopher Berg, and Richard Knee. (Mickey Ellinger was excused for travel out of town reasons). The SC meeting convened at 7:10pm.

The Minutes of the prior January 2004 Steering Committee meeting in San Francisco were read and approved.

REPORT OF THE CHAIR

Jack Rasmus provided the Chair report: Developments at the national office level include a pending reversal of last year’s dues increase, no additional initial changes in the bylaws otherwise for now, a renewed interest to reassign a VP to investigate some new health benefits plan for members, and an upcoming meeting on Feb. 14-15 of the national executive committee. Jack noted the NEC would soon send out an email to members.

Jack also reported that the membership of Local 3 had dropped to 428 current members, according to the latest records per Mickey Ellinger. 151 members have lapsed in the last 6 months. Jack urged we view this, along with our finances, as the most critical issue for the local to address in the months immediately ahead. The reversal of the dues increase should provide an opportunity to re-contact those who have dropped membership in the last 3 months, and we should do this right away. Jack indicated minutes of the Task Force on Membership committee (Jack, Mickey, Chris Berg) which met following the January Steering Committee would be sent out to the SC separately by him.

Jack noted he had spoken with SC members, David Brody and Larry Shoup, about resurrecting the ‘Book’ division standing committee in the local and serving as co-chairs. Chris Berg offered to participate as an ideas resource person as well. Discussion followed on what would be expected and what kind of activities were involved. David and Larry agreed to serve as co-chairs of this committee and will report back on proposals for activity at the next SC meeting.

TREASURER’S REPORT

Maggie Robbins gave the Treasurer’s Report: The local had $726 in its account. Paid bills of $224. and had receivables of $263 from the joint event with Media Alliance, for a total balance of $745. Maggie noted there were still issues unresolved with the national office re. outstanding invoices and bills, including how local 3 would retain its treasury. Jack suggested were get some new letterhead for the local, since the old copy had the names of the old regime of national officers on it. Maggie agreed to take action on this. Discussion followed on money raising activities. Maggie noted we had two boxes of NWU T-Shirts in the office and other items. She would take an inventory and make proposals for sales at next meeting. Maggie suggested the local hold a ‘clean out the office’ day, which was concurred by all. Next Tuesday, February 10 at 6pm was agreed. Maggie, Jack and Chris would meet to undertake this task at the office.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Poetry & Fiction:
Alice Rogoff reported on activities of the ‘Poetry and Fiction’ group recently in San Francisco. There was some interest in organizing a Women’s poetry meeting, at which the NWU would participate as a panel. Jack suggested we have a regular report at SC meetings and on the website from the National Contracts Advisor. Alice agreed to send Jack an email of our local GCOs, for Jack to follow up. Alice would provide plans for the coming year for the Poetry & Fiction committee at the next SC meeting.

Journalism:
Jack indicated he had heard Kathleen McNamara was interested in reconstituting this committee, and he would call her.

Tech Writers:
It was suggested that someone contact Andreas Ramos and have him provide his ideas for events this calendar year for this committee, so they might be communicated to the membership via the SC. Maggie indicated she had spoken with Andreas and he was to provide a report accounting for the activities, finances, and results of the Writer as Publisher project this week. Jack added we needed to get the Tech Writers committee better integrated into the SC meetings and activities.

Book:
David and Larry agreed to hold some kind of an initial event for the book division by June, a social or perhaps a speaker combined with social event. Chris suggested an event like the ‘How to Write a Book Proposal’ fundraiser, as was held in past years with the Media Alliance.

It was agreed all the four committees (Poetry & Fiction, Journalism, Book, and Tech) should provide plans for 2004 activities as soon as possible, for the local to communicate to members.

LABOR COUNCIL DELEGATES’ REPORTS

Larry Shoup reported on activities at the Alameda central labor council, including the successful picketing at Safeway.

Alice Rogoff provided the report on the SF labor council.

WEBMASTER’S REPORT

Chris Berg reported on the progress toward getting the new website up and running. He asked SC members to visit the site and provide feedback and content for their respective areas. It was agreed this feedback would be provided within a week. All acknowledged the excellent work to date by Chris on the website and thanked him.

OLD BUSINESS

David Brody revisited discussion first initiated at the prior SC meeting about the need for the local to tune in to legislative events of import to writers in Sacramento and the national level. He cited the example of health insurance. It was agreed by all the local needed a Legislative Committee representative to begin this work.

Jack proposed the following motion: “David Brody be appointed as chair of a new Local 3 Legislative Committee, to begin work on this important activity on behalf of the local". The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. David accepted the appointment.

NEW BUSINESS

Chris Berg raised a motion and calling the local a ‘local chapter’. The motion was withdrawn pending anticipated action by the national office on the question.

Jack raised a motion on behalf of Mickey Elllinger. It was moved that ‘Mickey Ellinger be appointed as Local 3’s representative to attend the ‘Design on Democracy’ conference’. Motion was seconded and passed.

Jack raised the following motion in support of ILWU Business Agent, Jack Heyman, and 25 others who were attacked by police when demonstrating at the port of Oakland in April 2003:

“Local 3 of the Bay Area National Writers’ Union expresses its unequivocal support for Jack Heyman, Business Agent of ILWU Local 10, and all the defendants of the April 7, 2003 peaceful demonstration on the Oakland docks; furthermore, local 3 strongly urges the Oakland city council and mayor to undertake all efforts to ensure the cases against brother Heyman and all the defendants are immediately dropped; and furthermore, the council establish and independent commission of Oakland residents to investigate the acts of police violence which occurred on that date; and, moreover, local 3 communicate this position in writing to the mayor and city council, with copies to the national office of the National Writers union, the Alameda central labor council, and the ILWU”

The motion was seconded, discussed, and passed unanimously (with Rick Knee abstaining for reasons of journalistic objectivity).

A communication was received and read from Karl Kramer, of the Committee to Defend Public Services and Jobs, to hold a march in Sacramento protesting Governor Schwarzenegger’s plans to cuts jobs of public employees, and resolved as follows:

“That our union (local 3) supports calling for a state-wide labor/community campaign, including a joint march in Sacramento, to demand the Legislature opposed the anti-worker, anti-people program put forward by the Governor.”

The motion was seconded and passed with 4 votes yes, 1 no, and 2 abstained.

WELFARE & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rick Knee urged the local consider supporting SB 921, the Universal Health Care bill.

It was noted the local should get involved in the issue of who gets press passes, and whether police departments should be allowed to decide this.

The SC meeting adjourned at 9:55 pm.

Meeting Tuesday, January 6, 2004. Present: Jack Rasmus (chair), Maggie Robbins (treasurer), Alice Rogoff, David Brody, Larry Shoup, Rick Knee, Mickey Ellinger (steering committee members).

1. Report from the chair. Jack Rasmus. Jack reported on a conversation with Al Weinrub, past Local 3 chair and new national First VP on the victorious Working4Writers slate. The new national leadership meets for the first time over the January 10-12 weekend.

2. Treasurer’s report. Maggie Robbins. We owe the national office about $1600, half of which is to repay staff salary paid to our office co-ordinator when we had one, the other half of which is for reimbursement to Andreas Ramos for expenses incurred as part of the Writer as Publisher project. There will be a full financial report in February when the new treasurer has had time to analyze the books and understand the new financial procedures mandated by the national office.

Jack moved that the Treasurer propose to the national office that we retire this debt at the rate of $100/month. The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

3. Committee reports.

(a) Journalism (report by Jack in the absence of a representative of the journalism committee) Dian Killion, staff organizer from the national office, will be in the Bay Area on January 14-15. She will meet with BizTech on the 14th, and other members in Chris Berg’s officeon the 15th.

(b) Poetry/fiction, Alice Rogoff. The poetry/fiction group will meet January 31 at a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco. (Mickey will get details to e-mail to local members.)

© Book, Alice Rogoff. The book contract seminar on December 6 with long-time contract adviser Steve Turner was successful, with 10 participants. The local will realize about $260 from the seminar.

(d) SF Labor Council, Alice Rogoff. No endorsement for mayor, support for the Safeway strike. Upcoming: MLK Day breakfast, Western Heritage labor fest

(e) Alameda County Labor Council, Larry Shoup. The meeting was refreshingly lively, endorsed upcoming March 20 demo against occupation of Iraq and discussed ways to support the southern California grocery strikers, including a picket at the 51st and Broadway Safeway.

4. Old business. Jack moved that we form a membership committee. Mickey Ellinger will chair, and work with Jack Rasmus and Chris Berg. This committee will revisit the plan first approved last spring, modify it to concentrate on regaining our activist base, and bring a revised plan to the next meeting of the Steering Committee. As a first step, Mickey will compile lists of our current members, members who have lapsed in the last 12 months, and new members who have joined in the last 12 months. Rick Knee will ask long-time recently resigned members Bruce Hartford and Dirk van Nouhys whether they will rejoin to support the new national and local leadership.

Jack moved that the Steering Committee ask Andreas Ramos for a wrap-up report on the Writer as Publisher conference. Ideally such a report would include input from the main people that worked on the conference ­ Andreas, Chris Berg, Stephanie Cota, Lisa Carlson ­ with lessons learned. It would also include a financial summary and inventory, if any.

Mickey will revive our periodic e-mails to the membership. We agreed to spend a substantial part of our next meeting discussion communication tools.

We had a short discussion of fund-raising ideas: silent auction, parties, event with war correspondents or other journalists.

David Brody asked about ideas for advocacy at the state level, and agreed to think about ideas for discussion at our next meeting.

5. New business.

a) Rick Knee reports on the freedom of information front at the national, state and local level, and moves thus: “The Steering Committee of Local 3 of the National Writers Union urges the California congressional delegation to push actively for rules changes that will ensure individual votes on the record in all future actiona in the House and Senate.” The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

b) Jack Rasmus moves thus: “The Steering Committee of Local 3 expresses its support for the continuation of the full funding of the Institute of Labor Education at UC Berkeley by sending a letter to Gov. Schwarzenegger with copies to the ILE staff, Alameda County Labor Council and State Labor Federationl.” The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

6. Next meeting: February 3, 2004, 7 p.m., East Bay location to be arranged by Jack. We agreed to continue to meet on the first Tuesday of the month and to alternate between San Francisco and the East Bay. We will try to find standing venues, preferably in the offices of other unions, and close to public transportation.

Nearly a decade of growing rancor within the National Writers Union came to an abrupt end when official results restored longtime local activists to office. The new NWU officers led by President-elect Gerald Colby took over at the Executive Board meeting on Jan. 9, 2004. The Bay Area’s own Al Weinrub was elected 1st Vice President.

The nearly 2-1 election victory reverses the fortunes of what had been a disastrous year for the Writers Union. In August, former President Marybeth Menaker pushed through the Delegates Assembly a 70-19 approval for sweeping structural changes that put the NWU firmly in the hands of the United Auto Workers. A massive dues increase passed by a similar margin. Only after the vote was taken did the delegates learn that, contrary to the newly-defunct NWU Constitution, the membership would have no say in approving either the dues increase or the new constitution.

What followed was wholesale defections from the union as founding members and steering committees around the country resigned. Steering committees of the local “units” (a UAW appellation) met in emergency session as many veteran activists declared “This is not my union any more.” With dissent censored instead of considered, with delegate resolutions tightly controlled by the Menaker-led majority on the National Executive board, the autocratic hand of Jonathan Tasini continued with his hand-picked successors, whose heavy-handedness proved to be their undoing.

The offical results of the National elections:

President: Gerard Colby
1st Vice President: Al Weinrub
2nd Vice President: Susan Davis
Recording Secretary: Karen Ford (Unopposed)
Financial Secretary-treasurer: Thomas Gradel
3rd Vice President: Pamela Vossenas
Trustees: Frederick O’Keefe, Laura Cameron, Rob Ramer
Sergeant-at-Arms: Joel Washington (Unopposed)
Guide: Barbara Mende

The Bay Area chapter extends its congratulations to all the new National Officers!

By Joe Gold for Your Union News

Below is a resolution that has been passed unanimously by the National Executive Committee, after consultations with UAW officials. It restores, for both practical and constitutional reasons, the dues structure that was in place before the 2003 Delegates Assembly, as well as the six months payment option. Next week the National Executive Committee will be meeting again to focus on financing and the 2004 budget workup, as well as some administrative issues. We will be sending out a tentative agenda. Working with the UAW audit department, we will also be crafting a new dues structure proposal to submit to the Delegates that will be constitutional and more equitable while meeting the financial needs of the union and addressing its per capita obligations.

In solidarity,

Jerry Colby
President
National Writers Union
Local 1981, UAW International

NEC Motion: Rescind Unconstitutional Dues Increase
Maker of Motion: Rick O’Keefe
Seconded by: Al Weinrub

Text of Motion:

Whereas Article 47, Section 1 in the UAW International Union Constitution specifically refers to the case where members of a Local are paying above the minimum dues prescribed by the Constitution, namely, the minimum dues being predicated on the “equivalent to 2 hours straight time pay per month", and, “[f]or those whose earnings vary, straight time earnings for the purpose of dues computation shall be based on the average earned per hour in the last month the member worked."; and

Whereas members of Local 1981 paying in the newly implemented lowest dues category ($160/year) are paying beyond the minimum set by the UAW Constitution; and

Whereas the Dues Increase/Restructuring Resolution #11 passed at the 2003 Delegates Assembly was not properly noticed to the members (it was crafted on the floor of the DA without giving delegates the proper seven days notice), it did not carry the approval of the Regional Director, and it was not voted upon by secret ballot, all of which are required by Article 47 of the UAW International Union’s Constitution;

Therefore, be it RESOLVED:

• that the Dues Increase/Restructuring Resolution #11 passed at the 2003 Delegates Assembly is null and void, and the pre-DA dues structure, with the half year option, is hereby restored, and
• that the National Executive Committee shall, as soon as possible, submit a new dues structure proposal to the Delegates Assembly that will bring Local 1981 into compliance with the UAW’s dues requirements, and
• that such proposal shall be drafted by the Financial Secretary/Treasurer working with the Finance Committee in consultation with the UAW Audit Department.

The new Steering Committee (SC) officers for 2004 are Jack Rasmus as Chair, Maggie Robbins as Treasurer, and Mickey Ellinger as acting Recording Secretary. New at-large Steering Committee members include Larry Shoup, a nonfiction book writer and journalist. Many veterans of the Bay Area Chapter’s SC are also continuing to help build the local chapter into something of more direct value and benefit to you, the membership. These veterans of Local 3 include Chris Berg (former Chair), Alice Rogoff, and Richard Knee.

To read more about the new SC and to read Steering Committee minutes, go to the Steering Committee’s page.

May 7 - 9, 2004 | Members of the National Writers Union will conduct a contract language and copyright seminar in Cedarville, CA.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is attempting to further loosen the rules on corporate media monopolies. Join the fight to oppose these changes…

Oakland Literature Expo; upcoming move of the offices; Writer As Self Publisher CDs; more…

September 7, 2004 | Bay Area Chapter Steering Committee meets at 7:30 p.m. at the union offices at 337 17th St. in Oakland. Here is the tentative agenda…

January 6, 2004 | Bay Area Chapter Steering Committee meets at 7 p.m.

January 24, 2004 | Support Safeway strikers in their battle over health benefits

January 31, 2004 | Poetry/fiction group meets Saturday January 31st, 1:00 PM, at the Hong Sing Restaurant in San Francisco at Diamond and Chenery (one block from the Glen Park Bart Station).

February 3, 2004 | Steering Committee meets Tuesday, February 3 at 7 p.m. All members welcome. For location send us e-mail or call us at 510-839-1248, and we’ll get back to you.

February 18, 2004 | NWU Technical Writers monthly meeting on Wednesday, February 18th: jobs, the NWU, and whatever else you’d like to talk about.

March 2, 2004 | Steering Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 2, from 7-9pm at SEIU Local 250 hall. The hall is located on 560 20th St. in Oakland. All union members are welcome to attend.

March 4, 2004 | Today five corporations control more than 80 percent of what the American people see and hear. Learn what you can do about media consolidation at this County Roundtable presented by the Santa Cruz NWU.

March 17, 2004 | It’s time for our annual St. Patrick’s Day NWU Writers Meeting. This month: Jobs, rates, offshoring, companies, and so on.

March 20, 2004 | A day of global action on the first anniversary of the U.S. bombing and invasion of Iraq. Several NWU members will be attending this march, with the NWU banner raised, so join us!

April 3, 2004 | There will be a poets and fiction writers gathering April 3rd 1 PM, at the Yong De restaurant (Chinese and Japanese food), 2922 Diamond St, SF.

April 6, 2004 | Steering Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 6, from 7-9pm, location TBA. All union members are welcome to attend.

April 2-4, 2004 | Highlights include the first international labor flash animation competition, screening of important new labor videos, and panels on the growing repression and censorship of labor media activists and journalists.

April 10, 2004 | Is it true that writers have more fun? Come find out Saturday, April 10, 2004, 2-5 p.m. Food, drink, membership drive kickoff, and special guest appearances…

May 3, 2004 | A diverse panel of Bay Area NWU women writers will discuss how events and changes in the world are affecting what they write.

May 4, 2004 | Steering Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 4, from 7-9pm, location TBA. All union members are welcome to attend.

July 21, 2004 | Take a train, plane or bicycle to Monterey so you can join friends from across the state to help make the case for greater media diversity.