A LITTLE BIT ABOUT. . .

WHO?

Reporters, Photographers, Librarians, Clerical Personnel, Editors and Production Employees are Guild Members in the Chicago area.

WHAT?

The Chicago Newspaper Guild (CNG) is a 550 member labor union created by and for newspaper and news-related employees in the Chicago area.  The Chicago Guild, along with many other Guilds across the U.S. and Canada, is an affiliate of the 33,000 member international union, The Newspaper Guild (TNG), which merged with the 600,000 member Communications Workers of America (CWA).  TNG and CWA are member international unions of the AFL-CIO and in Canada, the Canadian Labour Council (CLC).  Among employees represented in locals of The Newspaper Guild are employees of the New York Times, Washington Post, AP, UPI, magazines such as TIME, Newsweek and Consumer Reports, and other publishing-related organizations such as TIME-Life Books and BNA, and many others.

WHERE?

In the greater metropolitan Chicago area, The Chicago Guild represents the editorial staff at the Joliet Herald News at its southernmost extremity, and the editorial staff at the Waukegan News Sun at the northern end.  In between, the editorial staff of the Chicago Sun-Times, union staffers of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, Pioneer Press editorial and production staffs,  and the court interpreters of the Cook County Court System are among proud holders of Chicago Newspaper Guild membership cards.

WHY?

Better benefits. Reasonable hours.  Higher salaries.  Overtime compensation.  But those are only the product of a greater overriding need: the need to have a collective and powerful voice to address not only these issues, but also issues concerning product quality, morale, job security and proper recognition for achievement.

HOW?

The first step is to gain recognition as a bargaining unit of the Chicago Newspaper Guild.  That normally is accomplished through procedures established by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).  The NLRB, after determining that enough employees are interested in such recognition, has the power to conduct a secret-ballot election among employees in an appropriate bargaining unit. 

If a majority of the employees vote in the affirmative, that group of employees then has a legally recognized right to utilize the resources of the Guild in bargaining a contract with the employer, and the employer has a legal obligation to bargain in good faith on all matters involving wages, working hours and other benefits and working conditions.

Employees in each unit select unit officers and negotiating team members to represent them in bargaining a contract with the employer, dealing with issues important to employees in that unit.  In support of the unit is the collective strength of the entire membership of the Chicago Guild, which provides professional negotiating, legal and financial resources to serve the needs of each unit.  

In providing these resources, policy questions are determined by the membership at membership meetings held every other month.  Between membership meetings the Guild Executive Board deals with the day-to-day matters of the Local, subject always to approval by the membership.  Staff of the Local, including the Executive Director and office personnel, serve only in an advisory capacity in policy questions.

OK, SOUNDS INTERESTING — BUT WHAT'S
IT GONNA COST ME?

If you become a member of CNG, you will not pay any Guild dues until after your first contract is ratified.  And the fact is that having a Guild contract is truly the only key to increased earnings, decent benefits and job security.

The amount that you would pay in Guild dues is fair and reasonable, and it is always a figure that is appropriate for the industry in which you work.  Though some may try to scare you into thinking that you'd pay what an Airline Pilot or Journeyman Electrician pays in union dues, you won't!  CNG dues are about 1.65% of your gross pay, a very low rate compared to many other unions.  And in over 20 years, the Guild has never negotiated a first contract at a new bargaining unit in which members' pay raises and increases in benefits didn't more than cover the cost of dues.  The gains you'll realize as a Guild member make your dues a sound investment.  What you get by being a Guild member far exceeds what you could ever owe in dues.  It doesn't cost to belong...it pays!

Dues increases by CNG must be voted on and approved by the members before they go into effect.  If CNG's Executive Board determines that a dues increase is necessary, the matter is brought before the membership for a vote.  As in every other aspect of Guild membership, a dues increase can only pass when a majority of members voting approve the increase.

No organization can operate without an income, and a labor union is no exception.  A union's only source of revenue is dues.  But CNG exists for the sole purpose of serving its members...so you reap the rewards for the dues you pay!  As a non-profit organization, CNG's Executive Board carefully invests in your Union over and over by seeking better benefits and Aextras@ for you, and making sure that your employer lives up the terms of the contract.  Guild dues are like insurance premiums — Guild membership insures that you'll be treated fairly on the job.