Richard Steier, editor in chief of The Chief, received Metro’s Communicator of the year at the Metro Convention. He is pictured here with co-directors (l to r) Cara Noel, CLC and Anne Silverstein, CSA.

The Metro Convention was held on May 30th. The morning panel was on communications messaging and strategies for low-wage organzing. Michael Hirsch, longtime labor journalist, moderated the panel. We heard from  Danny Massey, Berlin Rosen, about the fast food workers campaign and Janna Pea, Deputy Communications Director, RWDSU about the car wash workers.

Register under the Annual Convention page.

The morning panel is scheduled for 10 a.m. The panel is titled, “Communications Messaging and Strategies for Low-Wage Organizing.” The panelists are Danny Massey, Berlin Rosen (fast-food workers), Janna Pea, deputy communications director, RWDSU (car wash workers), and Elaine Kim, communications director, 32BJ, SEIU (airport workers campaign). Longtime labor journalist Michael Hirsch will moderate the panel.

After the morning panel, you will have an opportunity to hear Richard Steier, editor, The Chief, who will be honored as Metro’s Labor Communicator of the Year. Steier will have copies of his recent book, “Enough Blame to Go Around: The Labor Pains of New York City’s Public Employee Unions,” available for purchase. Deidre McFadyen, director of internal communications at the United Federation of Teachers and a former reporter at The Chief, will introduce Steier.

The awards session is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

At 2:30 p.m., the convention will feature a workshop, “Twitter Session: Leading a Revolution with 140 Characters.” Charles Lenchner and Elana Levin of Organizing 2.0 will lead the workshop.

Register online under the Annual Convention page.

Details on the Convention are in the attached pdf below.

2014 metroconventregisFinal

Winners can be found in the Communications Contest page. Congratulations to all! Come pick up your awards at the Metro Convention – May 30th. Register today!

Registration form for our May 30th Convention can be found under Annual Convention.

The Center for Community and Ethnic Media at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism is partnering with Metro NY Labor Communications Council to host a panel discussion on covering labor issues.

Thursday, May 1st, 2014 @ 6:00 p.m.

CUNY Graduate School of Journalism
219 West 40th Street (Between 7th and 8th Avenues), Room 308
New York, NY 10018

Panel members:
Cara Noel, Communications Director, NYC Central Labor Council, Co-Chair, NY Metro Labor Communications Council
Lenore Friedlaender, Assistant to the President 32BJ SEIU
Richie Steier,  Editor of the civil-service newspaper “The Chief-Leader”

Moderator: Garry Pierre-Pierre, Executive Director, Center for Community and Ethnic Media

In recent years, new Americans have become the bedrock of labor union membership. These members are essentially your readers. And soon, the de Blasio administration is set to begin negotiations with municipal unions whose contracts expired long ago. So how do you cover labor issues and what exactly do your readers need to know about their unions? Please join us for a conversation with labor leaders and journalists about labor’s continuing role to empower new Americans.
Food and drinks will be served

Click here to RSVP

For questions, email

Breaking: McDonald’s workers mount class action suits in three states – Salon.com.

Fast food strikers’ struggle takes a new turn, which could force sketchy franchise system into spotlight

Josh Eidelson

Big Apple Area Airport Workers Take a Stand – 32BJ SEIU.

At Newark Liberty International (EWR), John F. Kennedy International (JFK) and LaGuardia (LGA) airports, about 15,000 low-wage subcontracted airport service workers provide crucial services such as cabin cleaning, terminal security, baggage handling, wheelchair assistance, and sky cap services. They work for contractors hired by airlines and terminal operators and they struggle to get by on wages as low as $8.00 per hour with no affordable healthcare and no paid sick days in one of the most expensive cities in the country.

These service positions were once directly filled by airline carriers, and included paid sick days and holidays, vacation and health insurance benefits. In a bid to cut costs, airlines shed those jobs in favor of a race-to-the-bottom system where contractors fill jobs by reducing wages and doing away with employment benefits. These low-wage jobs, where workers may have to fill the gaps with government assistance programs such as food stamps, cash assistance, Section 8 rent support, and Medicaid, are not what New York City and New Jersey need.

The workers are struggling for justice, respect and a voice in their workplaces.