Freelancers meet at Toronto’s historic Gladstone

December 08, 2010 Editor News andrew cashcanadian media guildcanadian writers groupeventperiodical writers association of canada

The Gladstone Hotel's Art Room turned out to be an apt spot to launch the new alliance between Canada's only agency for freelance writers and a major media union. A historic hotel -- and an age-old problem.

The problem is figuring out how to give collective voice and leverage to people who are, by law and trade, independent.

The solution, proposed Canadian Writers Group founder Derek Finkle, is the freelance alliance between his group and the Canadian Media Guild. And about 40 people who came to celebrate and learn more about the alliance on December 7 seemed to agree.

Finkle explained how and why he started his agency in 2009 and why the next logical step was to join forces with a union in order to enable more people to be represented and increase the bargaining clout for those involved. Lise Lareau, president of the Canadian Media Guild, said that while the Canadian Writers Group will be the agency that does the one-to-one negotiations for clients, the Guild will concentrate on advocating for contractual and legal changes that support CWG's work. Lareau said everyone in the room, no matter their organization or background, will need to work together to push for pay for digital re-use and other rights and that the days of turf disputes between organizations "are over".

Sandy Crawley, executive director of the Periodical Writers Association of Canada, called the alliance an exciting development and wished it success.

Andrew Cash, musician, journalist and NDP candidate in Davenport - a riding that happens to include the Gladstone Hotel - told the group he was excited about the alliance. He said the problems faced by freelancers are part of a bigger network of issues facing all independent/self-employed workers, including access to EI, pensions and benefits. He's organized an "urban workers forum" to push these issues; watch for more info on this initiative soon in this space.

Required reading for Canadian freelancers

December 06, 2010 Editor News digitalfreelance contracts

The Canadian Magazines blog offers a succinct review of a new book it says "should be read by every freelancer, agency, editor and publisher" in Canada. Copyright, Contracts, Creators: New Media, New Rules is written by Osgoode Hall law school professor Giuseppina D’Agostino. The description of the book includes this gem: "The Internet-fueled…

Finkle going to bat for independent writers

December 03, 2010 Editor News canadian media guildcanadian writers groupfreelancer ratesrobertson caserogers publishingtoronto life

Toronto writer Derek Finkle’s first feature assignment netted him a cover story in Toronto Life. It all started in 1993 when he became the magazine’s first intern. The story was about a sting operation on a paid hit and it introduced Finkle to key police sources that would prove helpful to his later work. But it was a formative experience in…

A new benefits program for writers

December 02, 2010 Editor News actra fraternalbenefitscanadian writers group

A new benefits program is available to writers who are members of a dozen organizations, including the Canadian Writers Group. The program is administered by ACTRA Fraternal.[caption id="attachment_183" align="alignright" width="75" caption="Susan Swan"][/caption]The great thing about this program is that premium rates don’t go up the more you…

Unlocking the mysteries of the Robertson settlement payouts

December 02, 2010 Editor News magazinesrobertson casethe globe and mail

A number of magazine veterans have been scratching their heads about the reports circulating that former Globe and Mail freelancers are receiving the maximum allowable payout – $55,000 – from the Heather Robertson settlement with Thomson Reuters Canada, CTVglobemedia, and the Gale Group. The veterans are wondering how their many…

Signs of optimism as 2010 winds down

December 01, 2010 Editor News digitalmagazines

Magazine and newspaper publishers have some news to smile about south of the border. The first comes from Jim Romenesko at Poynter: newspapers can look forward to an increase in digital ad revenue next year, according to industry consultant Kubas. You can see the Kubas forecast here.What's more, there's a signal that the death of print is…

New alliance to fight for rights for freelancers

December 01, 2010 Editor News canadian media guildcanadian writers groupfreelance contractsnegotiationssuccess stories

The alliance between the Canadian Media Guild and the Canadian Writers Group was officially launched today. It's a first-ever alliance between an agency that represents independent journalists and a union and will advocate for freelancers on issues such as rates, copyright and digital and re-use rights."I'm proud to be a partner in this alliance,"…

Rogers refuses to remove writer’s work from Yahoo

November 30, 2010 Editor News canadian media guildcanadian writers groupdigitalfreelance contractsnegotiationsrogers publishingtrouble spots

This fall, Rogers Publishing started syndicating work by independent journalists on line. The Canadian Writers Group (CWG) noticed in September that stories from late 2009 and early 2010 by Patricia Pearson and Ellen Vanstone, first published in Chatelaine, were posted on Yahoo’s “Lifestyle” site. When an editor at Chatelaine was contacted,…

What do you do when you’re stiffed?

November 30, 2010 Editor News advicecanadian media guildfreelance contractsgetting paidnegotiations

A small group of freelancers recently had this experience. They were engaged by a Toronto-based publisher to provide material for some specialized periodicals. The terms of the contract were clear and unequivocal. The price and deadline were set. Payment was due 30 days after publication date.Wait a minute. After publication date, not after…

“The future lies in apps, not on shelves”

November 30, 2010 Editor News digitali-padmagazines

Virgin's Richard Branson launched his i-Pad magazine today, taking a flyer on the future of digital-only mags. "Project" focuses on "design, entertainment, technology, entrepreneurs." Sounds like a publication after Branson's own heart.<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/17285675?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="590"…