At its annual convention May 2, the Metropolitan New York Labor Communications Council elected PEP Senior Associate Editor Gregory N. Heires as president, honored PEP with five labor journalism awards, and named DC 37’s Web site the best in town.

Mr. Heires joined the Public Employee Press in 1991 and became senior associate editor last year. He pledged to keep Metro “a forceful advocate for workers and a prominent voice for union democracy.”

Mr. Heires succeeds Martin Fishgold, longtime editor of the SSEU Local 371 Unionist, as Metro chief. Mr. Fishgold stepped down from his Metro position after he was elected president of the Washington-based International Labor Communications Association. PEP Associate Editor Diane S. Williams is a member of the ILCA Executive Board.

Award to Ensley
Metro’s Special Recognition Award went to Social Service Employees Union Local 371 President Charles Ensley for his longstanding support and freelance journalist David Bacon was named “Labor Communicator of the Year.” The convention included a lively panel, “Who’s Waging Class Warfare? Exposing the Right-wing Assault on Working Families.”

PEP won a first prize for the “unique performance” of its June 2002 special edition presenting the findings of the first White Paper on municipal waste issued by District Council 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts. “The entire staff is very proud of this award, because it demonstrates how an effective newspaper can use reporting, photography and graphic design to put a human face on budget issues and dramatize union policy,” said PEP Editor Bill Schleicher.

PEP placed second in the “general excellence” competition, with praise from the judges for “solid reporting” and profiles of members that “highlight their unique contributions.” PEP Photographer George Cohen won a first prize for his shot of a woman Climber and Pruner high in a treetop, lopping off a diseased limb with a chainsaw.

Mr. Heires received Metro’s first prize in feature writing for a three-page article about violence against Local 1457’s Juvenile Counselors. The violence feature also won third prize for its graphic design by Assistant Art Director E.J. Dobson. The layout included photos and charts.

www.dc37.net, which averages over 1 million visits a month, took first prize in the Web site contest. The judges cited the “stellar content” and “excellent presentation” of the site, which is prepared by Web Editor Molly Charboneau and former PEP Artist Jaee Pathak of Smartweb, Inc.