UAW publications, Web sites singled out for honors

Being a UAW local union editor or webmaster is hard work.

With the important role of keeping local union members informed about the UAW, their local and their role as union members, these creative laborers produce a crucial component of our union’s education and information system with their publications, videos and Web sites.

Delegates gathered in April at the Walter and May Reuther UAW Family Education Center in Onaway, Mich., at Black Lake for the 2007 UAW-Local Union Press Association (LUPA) Communications Conference. The conference featured weeklong classes in writing, editing, photography, video and Web design.

“LUPA editors, webmasters and video producers are our direct link to the membership, and we appreciate what you do,” said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, who welcomed the delegates with a news conference-style question-and-answer session.

The LUPA Advisory Council also elected new officers to four-year terms, including: John Davis, chair, Region 8, Local 2195; Anne Drake,vice chair, Region 1A, Local 898; and Janice Yankey, recording secretary, Region 3, Local 862.

“It’s an honor to be elected chair of the LUPA Advisory Council and to build on the success of our previous leader, Debi Kirchner, who did an outstanding job during her tenure as chair,” Davis said. “We’re going to strengthen our educational focus and capitalize on new communications technology.”

LUPA members were also recognized for their best work of 2006 in the 2007 UAW-LUPA Journalism/Web Site Contest.

First-place winners for general excellence were:

Division I (newsletter, fewer than 1,000 circulation): Local 6888, Update, Caral Turner, editor.

Division II (newsletter; more than 1,000 circulation): Local 2166, Truckin’ News, Charlotte Kowalcyk, editor.

Division III (tabloid newspapers of any size or circulation): Local 735, The Communicator, Sharon Jean, editor.

Division IV (newspaper or newsletter of any size or circulation from amalgamated local, CAP councils, regional newspapers and retiree newspapers only): Local 249, First Local News, Pat Hayes and Karen Payne, co-editors.

Division V (newspaper or newsletter of any circulation or size from CAP councils, regional newspapers and retiree newspapers only): Region 1A, Region 1A Retiree News, Anne Drake, editor.

Web site:
UAW Local 1950, http://uaw1950.nmu.edu, Dawn L. Wilder, editor.

Joan Silvi

If you are a local union editor or webmaster and would like to sign up for the LUPA Web site, please e-mail jsilvi@uaw.net.