A new era for MediaNews: Bankruptcy behind us, bargaining on horizon for BANG-EB guild unit

7 p.m. Monday, April 5

at the CWA Hall

1831 Park Blvd., Oakland

Since we’ll begin negotiating for our next contract in late summer-early fall, we need your help and ideas now to shape our next agreement with management. Come by the meeting and let us know what your priorities are in the next contract, and how you think we should go about getting those things. You can also send us an e-mail or share your thoughts with a shop steward.

At our next meeting, we’ll also be assembling the bargaining committee that will be negotiating with management. If you’re interested in helping out that way, please attend next month or send us a note.

“Your View on Local News: A Town Hall Forum”

The Society of Professional Journalists is sponsoring a community-wide town hall discussion on local news this week, focusing on how the current crisis in the news industry creates opportunities for the public to help shape new kinds of journalism that contribute to a vibrant democracy.

The conversation will explore strategies and business models for ensuring robust and reliable news coverage in a changing economic, technological and social environment.

Featured participants include Venise Wagner, Journalism Department chair at San Francisco State University; Ron Dellums, Oakland Mayor; Glenn Frankel, Pulitzer Prize-winning Stanford professor; Mark Adkins, Chronicle President; and Lisa Frazier, CEO at the Bay Area News Project.

Everyone is welcome to attend and participate in this free event:

Thursday, March 25
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
San Francisco Library’s Koret Auditorium

CWA Scholarships

Don’t miss the March 31 deadline to apply for CWA’s Beirne scholarships, which can help you or a family member attend college or pursue an online distance-learning degree in the 2010-11 academic year.

The annual scholarships from the Joe Beirne Foundation, named for CWA’s founding president, provide 15 students up to $3,000 toward their college tuition. The award can be renewed for a second year if winners have a satisfactory academic record.

CWA members, spouses, children, grandchildren and dependents of retired, laid-off or deceased members are eligible. Winners will be chosen from a lottery of eligible applicants.

Applications are available online only at www.cwa-union.org/members/beirne, where you’ll also find more information. Applications must be submitted electronically no later than midnight Wednesday, March 31.

Members of our local — the California Media Workers Guild, Local 39521 — can also apply separately for up to $500 in scholarship support. College-bound children and other dependents of members in good standing, including members of the new Freelance Unit, can apply. Here’s a link to the application form:

Check our Web site for more information.

Save the Date! “Spring Training: Reinventing your Journalism Career”

Mark your calendars for this event, which will feature various workshops and speakers exploring ways to reinvent your journalism career — in the job you have now, or the one you imagine having in the future. The session will focus on enhancing your writing and reporting, developing new media skills, revamping your resume, and more. Admission is free for all Guild members; complete schedule and other details to follow.

Saturday, April 24
9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
SF City College, Ocean campus

Sponsored by California Media Workers Guild, the Bay Area Media Training Consortium, and the San Francisco City College Journalism Department.