Tag Archives: freelancers guild

Health benefits from the Freelancer Media Workers Guild

An important message from the Freelance Media Workers Guild. -mia

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I hear frequently from people whose top priority is medical coverage.

We are making excellent progress lining up dental and vision coverage for our members, and expect to have some other benefits lined up soon.

We are negotiating for a medical coverage plan that features maximum portability and affordability. To start getting bids, we need some very basic census data — from members of Guild Freelancers.

If you are interested in joining the health care pool, you MUST JOIN the freelance unit. We can ONLY amass the kinds of benefits and supports we seek with adequate numbers.

Joining the Freelance Media Workers discussion or announcements-only Google groups does NOT make you a member of Guild Freelancers.

We are not a support group, although we offer plenty of support. We are not a job service, although we provide comprehensive contacts for open journalism jobs. We are a labor union, and we seek to provide the same sturdy safety net that unions always have. By committing to the unit, you gain an unconditional commitment from the union to help secure solid, tangible supports and protections.

To join, log onto guildfreelancers.org right away and click on “Join Us.”

Membership fees are roughly equivalent to a double latte a week. You can pay by the year ($144), sign up for six months at a time ($72). Student fees are only $60 a year.

If you ARE a member, and you ARE interested in helping us secure the best health care bid possible, please shoot me a confidential email at rrosenlum@gmail.com that includes your zip code, gender and date of birth, and, if you wish, the number of dependents you might wish to add to your coverage.

Sincerely, Rebecca Rosen Lum Unit chair, Guild Freelancers rrosenlum@gmail.com