Freelancers Union: Tell the NY Observer to Pay Its Freelancers!

NY Observer not Paying Freelancers: Please Sign the Petition.

February 25, 2009.

Dear Readers,

The New York Observer is reportedly having trouble paying the bills. There's no shame in that--so are a whole lot of media organizations. But to stop paying the freelancers? There's got to be a better, fairer way.

Tell the Observer you think they can and must find a solution and pay their freelancers. (After all, these are journalists! Maybe they can take a page from Wall Street and freeze pay at the top?) Doesn't mutual benefit mean mutual responsibility?

Contract writers have been stonewalled by the paper's payroll department after months of non-payment. And it's evidently not the first time they've left freelancers in the lurch.

Style Editor Nancy Butkus said it best herself: "What I'm being asked to do is immoral." We couldn't agree more.

But it isn't Nancy's fault. This kind of behavior gets instituted from the top, and that's why Freelancers Union is committed to making sure freelancers get paid for the work they do.

The Department of Labor really should institute protections for freelancers, just like W-2 employees have. But let's tackle the issue from both ends. Send a message to the newspaper that it's not okay to balance its budget on the backs of independent workers.

Click here to tell the New York Observer to pay its freelancers on time, every time.

Best,
Althea Erickson
Senior Manager of Advocacy and Policy, Freelancer's Union

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Calling All NYC Freelancers to come Have a Drink. Cocktails for a Cause!

Join the folks at the Freelancer's Union for a drink!

WHEN: Wednesday, February 18, 2009

WHAT / TIME: Cocktails for a Cause: 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

LOCATION: Le Poisson Rouge Gallery Bar, 158 Bleecker Street, NYC

Dear Freelancers Union Volunteer, Remember all that hard work you did to help advance freelancers’ agenda in 2008? We do too, and we’d like to say Thank You on Wednesday, February 18, at a special event just for our member leaders.

We hope you’ll be there as we toast your advocacy on freelance issues, and stick around for our first ever Cocktails for a Cause!

Cocktails for a Cause: The economy is tanking, and freelancers are struggling to stay afloat. Even though we pay twice as many taxes as the cubicle crowd—not to mention an additional 4% for the Unincorporated Business Tax (UBT)—we get none of the benefits like unemployment insurance.

The independent workforce has carried New York’s economy through boom and bust, and it’s time for the state to return the favor. Freelancers need an unemployment program, and it could be funded by the double taxes we already pay. But Albany will take some convincing, which means we need the energy and voices of our members to claim the benefits we’ve earned.

That's why we're having cocktails for a cause. Please come. Though, space is limited, so register now. Can’t wait to see you there!

Althea Erickson

Senior Manager of Advocacy and Policy

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Thanks for all you do!
Live your values. Love your country.
And, remember: TOGETHER, We can make a DIFFERENCE!

FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.