In this fast-paced podcast, Nora Loreto (author, union activist, and CFU director) talks about what place organized labour might have in today's media. Do media unions protect journalists at the expense of journalism? Do they make it impossible for struggling news orgs to survive? Do they protect older workers at the expense of the younger generation?  Canadaland, Episode #117, Jan. 17, 2016

(Leslie) Dyson also envisions the “community chapter” model “being really effective for other people who don’t have any protection, maybe even Uber drivers,” since it combines the organizational strength of a big union like UNIFOR with the familiarity of chapter officials with specific conditions in their own industry. Reprinted with permission, CCPA Monitor, Jan/Feb 2016

Bylaw motions for consideration at next general meeting in 2016

The union representing journalists and photographers at the Chronicle Herald (the Halifax Typographical Union) and Herald management have reached an impasse in labour negotiations. Herald management recently filed a notice that gives them the option to lock out its unionized newsroom staff and it has recently come to light that the Herald is soliciting freelancers and journalism students to act as replacement labour. The HTU has asked freelancers not to accept work from the Herald during a lockout. 

The Canadian Freelance Union supports the media workers of the Halifax Typographical Union who are locked in a labour dispute.

The CFU is asking all freelancers and its own members not to accept assignments from the Chronicle Herald in Halifax or submit any content to the newspaper until the workers are back at work with a contract that both sides support.

Nora Loreto, Secretary and Québec Director of the CFU was interviewed by Amanda Lang in August, 2015. She talked about the CFU organizing drive and why freelance workers need to organize.

You can watch the clip here.

The Sidney Hillman Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2016 Canadian Hillman Prize honouring excellence in journalism in the public interest. The Hillman Prize seeks out top investigative reporting that draws attention to social or economic injustice and hopefully leads to corrective measures. We strive to recognize discernment of a significant news story, resourcefulness and courage in reporting, skill in relating the story and the impact of the coverage.

The Graphic History Collective Unionizes

By Daniel Tseghay, RankandFile.ca Writer/Organizer

On September 2nd, the Graphic History Collective (GHC), a volunteer-run collective producing comic books on Canada’s labour and working class history, announced that it has joined the Canadian Freelance Union (CFU). The CFU is a Community Chapter of Unifor. This type of organization gives its members some of the  benefits of unionizing outside of the  traditional employment relationship. Such employment conditions are the norm amongst  freelancers and independent media workers in general and the GHC collective in particular.

MONTREAL, Aug. 18, 2015 /CNW/ - As freelancing is becoming more and more common, the number of self-employed Canadians working in precarious jobs has grown. These workers are increasingly looking for new ways to foster collaboration, support and social connection, as well as improving workplace protection and benefits. To respond to this growing need, the Canadian Freelance Union has launched its first-ever organizing drive as a community chapter of Unifor, Canada's largest private sector union.

The Canadian Freelance Union has unanimously voted to support the Charter challenge that has been launched against Bill C-51, the so-called Anti-terrorism Act. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression are spearheading the challenge.