St. Paul, Denver MediaNews journos come to EBay

More than a dozen working members and Guild staff from around the country will gather in Oakland next week for a novel mobilization project spearheaded by Eric Geist, organizing director at The Newspaper Guild-CWA sector headquarters in Washington.  Geist will join John Dugan, head of organizing for the Communications Workers of America District 9, in leading a series of mobilization workshops and field projects focusing on MediaNews Group, the nation's fourth largest news chain.

Delegates from the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Denver Post will join representatives of Guild locals and field staff from Los Angeles, San Jose and San Francisco. The NorCal Media Workers Guild is playing host for the first-time event, being held at the union-represented Courtyard Marriott Hotel in downtown Oakland.

Much of the focus will be on the "One Big BANG: One Guild Universe" campaign being led by Sara Steffens of the Contra Costa Times and Michael Manekin of the San Mateo County Times. They are recently named co-chairs of the BANG-East Bay organizing committee, building a new bargaining unit here amongst our colleagues.

Members of the San Francisco Chronicle newsroom -- key early participants in the BANG organizing along with the San Jose Mercury News staff -- also are joining in the sessions, including two full days of seminars followed by meetings and one-on-one visits with BANG employees.

"Our members will come out to the Bay Area, learn how it's done, learn and share as much as they can about the company, and then return back to their home newsrooms to continue the mobilization work," Geist said.

Along with the daytime sessions, the agenda includes a dinner meeting Monday night with presentations by leaders of the BANG organizing committee. On Tuesday night, January 29, an informational meeting will be held in Walnut Creek where the St. Paul and Denver delegates will share their insights about achieving productive bargaining relationships with the MediaNews company.

On the last night, Thursday January 31, members of the Chronicle Guild Unit are hosting a party to thank the out-of-towners and toast their East Bay colleagues. That event will take place at the House of Shields on New Montgomery Street in San Francisco, from 6-9 p.m., with free food and beverages. A very special musical treat is in the works.

Check back here for more details on the upcoming events. For further information, call local representative Carl Hall at the Media Workers Guild at 415-421-6833.