Meeting Minutes from March 9, 2025

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Marty Hart-Landsberg, Chair opened the meeting at 4:04 pm. 

Welcome and introductions: Elissa Edge, Jonathan Rosenblum, Stefan Ostrach, Lura Frazey, Martin Hart-Landsberg, Michael Funke,  Bob Rossi, Norm Baxter, Zachariah, Tom Henderson, Alexis Gunderson, Charles Wynns, Tom Henderson, Sarah Buel, Kacey Carpenter

Agenda: Marty reviewed our agenda.

The Writers Corner featured Jonathan Rosenblum, a union and political organizer, writer based in Seattle, and National Recording Secretary of the National Writers Union. He spoke with Oregon members about the intersection of media work and movement-building and shared news of his forthcoming book, Revolutionaries Inside the Halls of Power (OR Books), due out later this year.

Jonathan led our breakout discussions, focusing on three strategic organizing questions:

  1. What are you/we doing right now to fight big tech, either in your work as a writer/media worker, or in the growing movement against Trump, Musk, and the decimation of public services?
  2. What particular talents and skills do we have as writers and media workers that can further contribute to these fights?
  3. Who else among writers and media workers who are not yet members of NWU can we involve?

Check out the video recording here. 

Additional resources: 

Members Meeting

  • January 9, 2025 Meeting Minutes: Approved
  • Lura Frazey shared the Treasurer’s report
    • Income: Member Dues $107.50 (rising)
    • Balance Total 7,742
  • Reports from Labor Council/Chapter Representatives:
    • Michael Funke, Central Oregon representative. Appreciate the opportunity to engage with AFL-CIO and keep engaged. Helping Transportation Workers with campaign for expired contract, helping Bend media organize to get first contract, fighting layoffs down to 11 members with Carpenter Media takeover. Smaller unions encouraged by wins. Supporting library training sessions in Sisters with history of unions and Unions 1.0 for Labor Council to help bridge the knowledge gap. Compiling number of union members in central Oregon (7000 counted so far. 
  • Strategic organizing
    • Marty shared our organizing resources available including bookmarks, buttons, t-shift, and hats.  With the support of Worx, a worker-owned union co-op, NWU now has our own merch shop! You can order NWU-logo T-shirts, tote bags, hats, and mugs. We also have NWU Oregon Chapter bookmarks available for members to request here.
    • Marty led group discussion to answer the question, “what do we want to achieve here in NWU Oregon Chapter?”
    • Zachariah O’Keeffe: Americans are damaged and isolated and need to talk with each other in local communities. Leading Meet Me at the Crossroads events in Portland to meet people and talk with each other and create community foundation.
    • Marty: We are in a very real struggle right now to defend our rights and values, and writers and journalists are key to the effort, pushing back and helping people understand what is happening. 
    • Kacey: Writers have the power of the pen, write letters to the editor to support federal, state, and local legislation (Authors Against Book Bans, Political Librarian, book reading events, newsletters, etc…)
    • Lura: I came here to our union because this is a place in my life where I exist, am not alone, with resources and people who support me. 
    • Bob: Attended the AFL-CIO Legislative Conference in Salem where over 200 union members and staff gathered and Authors Against Book Bans for SB 1098 hear to oppose book bans. Bob shared an opportunity to support important Legislative Bills relevant to writers, entrepreneurs, freelancers, not included in AFL-CIO priorities. Raised the opportunity to engage more strategically with partners and our role. 
    • Michael: Learned about SB 686, a bill to support journalism jobs in Oregon. The NewsGuild, SAG-AFTRA, and other groups (AABB, Authors Guild, Libraries, etc..)are pushing for changes to ensure funding goes directly to working journalists rather than administrative costs.
    • Marty: We need to focus on one or two priorities, create our strategic organizing program in our next members meeting.
    • Kacey: We can also engage in this moment before the next meeting by sharing our resources and knowledge, Zoom calls for smaller groups, etc..
  • Our next meeting will be Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 4:00 PM Pacific (Sunday May 11 is Mother’s Day so we pushed out a week)
  • The meeting ended at  5:25 pm.