Public Employee Press

PEP wins nine labor journalism awards

The Public Employee Press received nine awards in 2009 from the International Labor Communications Association, including three first prizes.

In addition, the DC 37 radio show and Education Fund Librarian Ken Nash received broadcast awards. An impartial panel of judges selected the prizewinners from hundreds of entries of work published in 2008 by local and national unions.

Sr. Associate Editor Greg Heires received first prizes for Best Collective Bargaining Story (about the struggle of Sewage Treatment Workers in Local 1320 to win a raise after seven years without a contract) and Best Organizing Story (about DC 37’s drive to unionize workers in privatized parks). The contest judges praised the articles for “vivid descriptions and photos of their daily toil and the lack of respect they get for their contributions to making NYC livable.”

First prize for Best Cover went to Art Director Alyce Archer for the January 2008 front page, headlined “HOPE 2008.” The page showed a photo taken by PEP photographer Clarence Elie-Rivera of one of the first DC 37 babies of the year, Jayden Echevarria, the son of Local 2627 member Nicole Spain. The judges said, “Awesome photo and layout,” and praised PEP’s design for “striking use of color and good variation in layout of pages.”

PEP got second prizes for overall publication design by Editor Bill Schleicher, Archer and Associate Art Director Elroy Dobson and for an illustration by longtime freelance contributor Gene Suchma showing the benefits of President Obama’s stimulus plan.

Third prizes went to two features by Heires and an anti-Bush cartoon by Suchma. Associate Editor Jane LaTour’s labor history series got an honorable mention.

In the broadcast section of the competition, the DC 37 radio show, “It’s Your City, It’s Our Job,” produced by Communications Director Zita Allen and Professional Assistant Rudy Orozco, shared third prize for a program on heat problems in school kitchens. Second prize went to Ken Nash and co-producer Mimi Rosenberg for their radio show, “Building Bridges: Your Community & Labor Report” on WBAI 99.5 FM.

“Although PEP is generally recognized as one of the best labor newspapers in the country, it is rare to receive nine awards,” said Schleicher. “We should also recognize the tremendous importance that Executive Director Lillian Roberts places on quality publications for our union members and the great contributions that PEP staff who don’t get their names on the awards make to this overall effort.”