May 23, 2007
IAPE Board Meeting: 05.19.07
The IAPE Board of Directors met Saturday May 19, 2007 in Princeton, New Jersey with 21 of the 32 directors on hand. Podcast.
In addition to receiving, reviewing and discussing committee reports on Finance, Bargaining, Grievance, Organizing and Labor-Management, the Board heard updates from each of the officers and took action on two agenda items before going into executive session to discuss contract bargaining and mobilization efforts.
The Board approved sending a two-person delegation to the Sector Conference of the Newspaper Guild and the annual convention of the Communications Workers of America, both being held in July in Toronto, Canada. The delegation was expanded from last year's one-person delegation so that the IAPE Treasurer can attend CWA workshops on financial record keeping/reporting and diversity.
The Board also approved a contribution of $500 a month (through the next Board meeting, tentatively scheduled for September) to the CWA Adopt-A-Family program, an effort to assist employees at the Toledo Blade newspaper, who have been locked-out in a labor dispute since August 2006.
Two days after the Board contribution was authorized came the news that the dispute in Toledo has been resolved and IAPE's contributions, while appreciated, were no longer needed.
IAPE's participation has also been requested in the TNG organizing effort at the Los Angeles Times. TNG is trying to replicate IAPE's success in the Marketwatch and Harborside efforts by reaching out to the Los Angeles Times with a concerted effort to win union recognition in the LAT newsroom. A number of IAPE members have already volunteered to assist in the effort, but if you know anyone at the Los Angeles Times, your help is needed as well.
IAPE committee reports— and the President's Report— are to published in the June 1st edition of the IAPE newsletter, "Media Matters," which will be published electronically and posted on-line.