Organizing notes from the CFU

Michael OReilly*, the interim president of the Canadian Freelance Union (CFU), has responded to some questions raised on the Toronto Freelance Editors and Writers list about the inclusiveness and intentions of the proposed union, still in its formative stage. Freelancer Andrew Clark had some questions about the Southern Ontario Newspaper Guild (SONG) organizing its own freelance union and also about whether the CFU's goals was antithetical to young hopefuls who work for nothing want to "break in" to the business:

Two things of note in OReilly's response:

• that the Southern Ontario Newspaper Guild (SONG) is trying to put "inclusive language" in its contracts, mostly with the major newspapers, that would require freelancers working for them to be members of CFU and
• that there is "no restriction on who can work" and getting an assignment somehow "automatically puts you in the union"
  

I'm sure that those may surprise and puzzle some freelancers who may be sympathetic to the cause of higher fees, but wary and have yet to commit by paying their $25 to help the union reach its goal of a formative annual meeting sometime this fall.

Here's what OReilly wrote:

First off, SONG is not trying to start a freelance union. They are trying to introduce positive freelance language into their existing collective agreements. One key part of this is to ensure that all freelancers must be CFU members. Getting this accomplished would be a key step since it would get us to the bargaining table.

The CFU is not envisioned as a closed organization. Quite the contrary. My vision -- the one being pursued -- is to have the CFU open to every working freelancer. The model is similar to what already happens at the CBC (which is unionized). There is no restriction on who can work. Getting an assignment automatically puts you into the union. Criteria for union membership is working as a freelancer. There is no "shutting out" of anyone, nor is there any attempt to define who is qualified. You qualify by doing.

As for the question of untried writers having to give away their stuff to "break in," this is a crock. As a freelancer, if you have a good story that is right for the market, and you prove (through the query/pitch process) that you can research and write, then you get the assignment. It may be reasonable for an editor AND writer to test out their relationship with a couple of smaller front-of-book items, but the idea that a budding freelancer must expect to get paid shit so they can "build their portfolio" is ridiculous. If it's a good story, done professionally, then it is worth paying for -- every time.

*Yes, he has no apostrophe