Union communicators take top honors

April 8, 2005

NYSUT Vice President Dick Iannuzzi, left, and President Tom Hobart, right, congratulate Best of the Best award winners announced by Deborah Ward, director of Publications, Web & Video: Peter Hogness, above, editor of The Clarion, the publication of the Professional Staff Congress; and Stephen Rechner, below, president of the Union of Clerical, Administrative and Technical Staff at NYU, for UCATS Momentum.

Top union newspapers were so outstanding this year that one "Best of the Best" award wasn't enough.

Sharing the top award in the New York Teacher Journalism Competition were two higher education locals: UCATS Momentum, published by the Union of Clerical, Administrative and Technical Staff at New York University; and The Clarion, produced by Professional Staff Congress at CUNY.

The "Best of the Best" award is named for the late Ted Bleecker, founding editor of New York Teacher. It was presented at a pre-RA banquet by President Tom Hobart and Vice President Dick Iannuzzi, who paid tribute to the more than 50 locals honored for their labor journalism.

Also in attendance in tribute to the award winners were AFT Executive Vice President Antonia Cortese; NYSUT Vice President Maria Neira; and NYSUT Secretary-Treasurer Ivan Tiger.

Hobart thanked the editors and local leaders for carrying the union message to their members, saying: "We rely on your expertise and dedication in getting the word out about the importance of unions."

Above: Michele Bushey and Eileen Egan Mack, editors of The Fair Dealer, receive the Solidarity Award from NYSUT officers Dick Iannuzzi and Tom Hobart. Below: NYSUT Vice President Maria Neira, right, congratulates UFT retiree communicators for their Web site and publication awards.

The other top honor - the Solidarity Award for coverage of inter-union issues - went to The Fair Dealer, published by the Saranac Teachers Association, whose president is Lisa Napper.

UCATS Momentum, edited by local President Stephen Rechner, was singled out for its professional appearance, fine column-writing, and continuous improvement.

The Clarion, a repeat award winner edited by Peter Hogness, was cited by judges as a top-notch publication in everything from writing to design.

The Fair Dealer, edited by Michele Bushey and Eileen Egan Mack, was commended for its "organized and informative" coverage of union issues.

New York Teacher editor Lance Howland said the panel of independent judges remarked on the increase in entries and praised the journalists for their professionalism and creativity. He noted the majority of the editors are volunteers who produce union publications in addition to their day jobs.

A full list of winners will appear in a future issue of New York Teacher and on the NYSUT Web site, www.nysut.org.