Public Employee Press

PEP receives awards for best labor journalism

District Council 37's official newspaper, the Public Employee Press, received a number of journalism awards in the annual contest of the Metro New York Labor Communications Association. One of the most honored publications in the U.S. labor movement, PEP took first place in the reporting, feature-writing and graphic design categories. The awards for work published in 2011 were presented in June at Metro's annual conference.

The paper as a whole won a special mention from the independent contest judges for its general excellence, and PEP staff received prizes in specific categories.

First place for best reporting went to Sr. Associate Editor Gregory N. Heires for the article, "Uncollected Revenue Could Stop Layoffs." Heires is a member of Metro's Executive Board.

Associate Editors Diane Williams and Alfredo Alvarado won the top award for writing the feature, "Grim Holidays for Laid-Off Members." Associate Art Director Elroy Dobson Jr. placed first place in graphic design with "Answering the Big Lie About City Workers' Pensions," written by Heires with photos of union retirees by PEP Photographer Clarence Elie-Rivera.

Jane LaTour's series on how the economic crisis disproportionately affects women, minorities and children received second place in "Unique Performance" and the PEP section, "Remembering 9/11 10 years later," edited by Heires with articles by Alvarado, Williams and Heires got third place.

Metro also honored the union's Facebook page with second place in the social media category.

"We are fortunate to have a newspaper staff dedicated to telling the world of the struggles and achievements of our members and to receive tremendous support from Executive Director Lillian Roberts," said PEP Editor Bill Schleicher.

DC 37 Librarian Ken Nash and his co-host, Mimi Rosenberg, won the Excellence in Broadcast Media award for the WBAI special show on the 1911 Triangle Shirwaist fire in which 146 garment workers perished.