Public Employee Press

PEP rated first among area union newspapers

DC 37's Public Employee Press has been rated the best large-circulation labor publication in the region by the Metro New York Labor Communications Council. Among union newspapers and magazines published in 2013, PEP was judged first in general excellence in Metro's annual labor communications contest, and PEP writers received first-place awards in the competition's feature writing and news writing categories.

For PEP, the last months of 2012 and the first half of 2013 were marked by the challenge of publishing without an office base after Hurricane Sandy left DC 37's lower Manhattan headquarters closed for extensive repairs. The journalists, photographer, graphic designer and editor met in restaurants and communicated with each other and the printer electronically.

In Metro's 2013 contest, which drew hundreds of entries, PEP shared top place in overall excellence with the United Federation of Teachers' newspaper, the New York Teacher, and won five other awards

First place in feature writing went to Senior Associate Editor Gregory Heires and Associate Editor Diane Williams for "Public Housing in Crisis," a jointly written article that kicked off PEP's series about the terrible conditions facing members and other tenants of the New York City Housing Authority under the Bloomberg administration.

First place in news writing went to Williams for "Expired: mayor's plan to privatize parking meters," the story of how Local 1455 and DC 37 helped stop one of former Mayor Bloomberg's contracting-out schemes.

The contest's judges gave a special mention award to Williams for "The Long Fight for Freedom," the story of the Emancipation Proclamation and the civil rights struggles from 1863 to 2013 that PEP published to mark Black History Month at a time when DC 37 was unable to hold its usual celebrations.

PEP also won second place in headline writing and third for art work for a drawing (reprinted on right) by retired freelancer Gene Suchma of the famous library lions weeping over the problems the libraries faced under the former mayor.

In addition to print media, the contest covers labor websites, radio and video productions. DC 37 Ed Fund Librarian Ken Nash received Metro's prestigious Matt Doherty/Gwen Wells Excellence in Broadcast Media Award for the third time for the "Building Bridges" radio program he produces and hosts with Mimi Rosenberg on WBAI (99.5 FM).

PEP Editor Bill Schleicher pointed out that staff who did not receive individual awards also contributed greatly to the paper's quality and said, "It's a constant thrill to publish the stories of members who do so much for the people of New York and a union that fights so hard for its members."

DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts praised the "skill, dedication and hard work" of the PEP staff and said, "Our newspaper does a great job of reflecting the struggles of the union and keeping members informed and involved."