The Guild Service Awards are as follows: Dan de Souza Memorial Award for Member of the Year; Nadine Grinder Memorial Award for Shop Steward of the Year; Unit Officer of the Year; Organizer of the Year; Bargaining Unit of the Year; Herb Block Award for Community Service and the Connie Knox Memorial Award for Outstanding Service to the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild.
WBNG created the Knox Award in honor of the late Connie Knox, longtime WBNG President, WBNG vice president and International Chair of The Newspaper Guild. Connie died in 2012, just weeks after she retired from both her Guild post and the Baltimore Sun.
The Front Page Awards and Guild Service Awards for both years will be formally presented to the winners at a special ceremony later this year.
2016
Dan De Souza Member of the Year– Chris Stergalas Working America, for taking charge and leading the long-needed redesign of the WBNG website.
(Amanda Erikson, Jenny Rodgers and Ann Tran, The Washington Post 2015; Joel Achenbach, Post 2014; Bruce Kaufman, BNA 2013; Laura Francis, BNA 2012; Freddy Kunkle & Darlene Meyer, Post 2011)
Nadine Grinder Shop Steward of the Year– Celeste Drake, AFL-CIO. for tirelessly working on many high stakes grievances including such as the healthcare prescription grievance and the prohibited transfers/protecting the no layoff rights grievance.
(Dina Kastner and Bekki Ow-Arhus, National Association of Social Workers 2015; David Wright, Sun 2014; Lori Richards, UFCW 2013; Dawan Jones, NASW 2012 and Dawan Jones, NASW 2011)
Unit Officer of the Year– Edward Fortney, SEIU Local 500. for leading high level concerted activities within the unit and pushing management father than ever before in bargaining. Ed was truly a “Man on Fire” during the contract campaign!
(Laura Francis, Blomberg-BNA 2015; Freddy Kunkle & Stephen Rocky Richardson, Post 2014; Stephen Rocky Richardson & Nikita Steward, Post 2013; Evan Yeats, UFCW 2012 and Byron Charlton, AFL-CIO 2011)
Organizer of the Year– Elianne Farhar, Center for Popular Democracy, for spearheading the organizing drive and leading the pressure on management for voluntary recognition.
(Benjamin Soloway, Foreign Policy 2015; Vladislav Kachka, BNA 2014; Tim Smith, Post 2014; Mo-Yain Tham, RAINN 2013; Chase Brandau, WA 2012 and James Crudup, Post 2011)
Herb Block Community Service– Elise Bryant At-Large, Lee Anderson AFL-CIO, Jazmin Gargoum At-Large, and Ashley See APWU, for their hard work and outstanding performances in “Love Songs from Liberation Wars” converging the arts with labor history.
(Jeremy Sprinkle, NC State AFL-CIO 2015; Elise Bryant, At-Large 2014; No winner 2013; Matt Losak, At-Large 2012 and Gwen Holmes, BNA 2011)
Darlene Meyer Customer Service/Accounts Award– Pat Jacobs The Washington Post, for her 20 plus years of being dedicated to her accounts and exemplifying the highest work ethic.
(Naazima Ali, Working America 2015; David DeJesus, Post 2014; Monique Carr, Sun 2013; Sheila Washington-Cole, Sun 2012 and Darlene Meyer 2011)
Connie Knox Memorial Award Lifetime Achievement– Mary Esslinger, Catholic News Service, founding member of CNS unit, former local officer, unit chair for life and 40+ years as member. (Karen Coale, American Nurses Association 2015; Mark Gruenberg, At-Large 2014; Ken May, BNA 2013; Bill Salganik, Sun & Reza Namdar, BNA 2012; Connie Knox, Sun 2011)
Unit of the Year– Center for Popular Democracy, for winning a standard bearing contract for non-profit units in their first negotiations and achieving historical language in limiting executive pay.
(BBNA 2015, WA 2014; UFCW 2013; BNA 2012 and none 2011).
2017
Dan De Souza Member of the Year– Yvette De La Cruz, AFL-CIO. for guiding the unit through very turbulent times and difficult furlough negotiations.
(Chris Stergalas, Working American 2016; Amanda Erikson, Jenny Rodgers and Ann Tran, The Washington Post 2015; Joel Achenbach, Post 2014; Bruce Kaufman, BNA 2013; Laura Francis, BNA 2012; Freddy Kunkle & Darlene Meyer, Post 2011)
Nadine Grinder Shop Steward of the Year– Steve Cook, BBNA. for diligent contract enforcement, working assiduously and handling multiple grievances.
(Celeste Drake AFL-CIO 2016; Dina Kastner and Bekki Ow-Arhus, National Association of Social Workers 2015; David Wright, Sun 2014; Lori Richards, UFCW 2013; Dawan Jones, NASW 2012 and Dawan Jones, NASW 2011)
Unit Officer of the Year– Mikhail Romanov, UFCW. for leading an embattled bargaining unit through difficult negotiations and achieving a successful contract despite the obstacles.
(Edward Fortney, SEIU 500 2016; Laura Francis, Blomberg-BNA 2015; Freddy Kunkle & Stephen Rocky Richardson, Post 2014; Stephen Rocky Richardson & Nikita Steward, Post 2013; Evan Yeats, UFCW 2012 and Byron Charlton, AFL-CIO 2011)
Organizer of the Year– Julie Zauzmer The Washington Post, for recruiting the most members in a WBNG open shop for 2017.
(Elianne Farhar, Center for Popular Democracy 2016; Benjamin Soloway, Foreign Policy 2015; Vladslav Kachka, BNA 2014; Tim Smith, Post 2014; Mo-Yain Tham, RAINN 2013; Chase Brandau, WA 2012 and James Crudup, Post 2011)
Herb Block Community Service– No Winner
(Elise Bryant At-Large, Lee Anderson AFL-CIO, Jazmin Gargoum, At-Large, and Ashley See, APWU 2016; Jeremy Sprinkle, NC State AFL-CIO 2015; Elise Bryant, At-Large 2014; No winner 2013; Matt Losak, At-Large 2012 and Gwen Holmes, BNA 2011)
Darlene Meyer Customer Service/Accounts Award– Jacqueline Roane, The Baltimore Sun, over thirty years of excellence as a commission sales representative.
(Pat Jacobs, The Washington Post 2016; Naazima Ali, Working America 2015; David DeJesus, Post 2014; Monique Carr, Sun 2013; Sheila Washington-Cole, Sun 2012 and Darlene Meyer, Post 2011)
Connie Knox Memorial Award Lifetime Achievement– Robert Lever, Agence France-Presse, Longtime unit chair for the AFP unit.
(Mary Esslinger, Catholic News Service 2016; Karen Coale, American Nurses Association 2015; Mark Gruenberg, At-Large 2014; Ken May, BNA 2013; Bill Salganik, Sun & Reza Namdar, BNA 2012; Connie Knox, Sun 2011)
Unit of the Year– AFL-CIO, for reducing the number of devastating layoffs by entering into a two-week furlough agreement to save many brother and sisters.
(CPD 2016; BBNA 2015; WA 2014; UFCW 2013; BNA 2012 and none 2011).