Los Angeles Times activist Jon Schleuss is running against incumbent Bernie Lunzer for president of The NewsGuild.
Members in good standing of the United Media Guild — those members who were paying dues at some point in the previous quarter — will eligible to vote by mail in the upcoming national election. Ballots will be sent to their homes.
The UMG executive committee voted not to endorse either candidate, adhering to the precedent set the last time TNG held a contested election for president. (Lunzer defeated incumbent Linda Foley that time around.)
We encourage all our members to learn more about these candidates and make an informed decision on which one should lead our national union forward.
Over the years the UMG has worked closely with Lunzer and his staff in Washington D.C. on a variety of issues, including organizing new units, bargaining first contracts and enforcing our current agreements.
UMG vice president David Carson got to know Schleuss while assisting the successful Los Angeles Times organizing drive. UMG president Jeff Gordon, a TNG regional vice president, spoke extensively with Schleuss and other new unit activists at the TNG Sector Conference in Orlando.
Schleuss is stressing the need to improve member engagement, upgrade TNG’s communication capability and provide more support for local leaders.
Meanwhile Lunzer can point to TNG’s unprecedented organizing successes in recent years and his decades of labor leadership at the local and national levels.
Schleuss will be in St. Louis Monday, March 11, to host a lunch with UMG members at 11:30 a.m. at Missouri Bar and Grill. We encourage members to stop by to learn more about the critical issues facing TNG and our parent union, CWA, in this era of corporate cutbacks.