Fwd: Make Two Phone Calls To Protect Your Rights!

[Doug Henwood]

>X-From_: notice-return-1337157A13676B0626071420C272 at GetActiveHub.com 
>Tue Jun 26 19:17:39 2001
>Reply-To: notice-reply-1337157A13676B0626071420C272 at GetActiveHub.com
>From: nwu at nwu.org
>To: dhenwood at panix.com
>Subject: Make Two Phone Calls To Protect Your Rights!
>Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2001 23:17:33 GMT
>
>Dear Doug Henwood,
>
>URGENT-FREELANCERS, MAKE A PHONE CALL TO PROTECT YOUR
>RIGHTS! 
>
>In the wake of the Supreme Court victory for freelancers,
>the New York Times is attempting to mitigate their
>financial liabilities by seizing rights from freelancers.
>
>DO NOT SIGN ANY CONTRACT THE TIMES IS OFFERING--EITHER
>IN PRINT OR ON THE WEB. YOU WILL BE GIVING UP YOUR
>RIGHTS AND POTENTIAL FINANCIAL COMPENSATION STEMMING
>FROM THE SUPREME COURT VICTORY. 
>
>In a Times "news" story covering their loss in the
>Supreme Court on June 25, two telephone numbers were
>published. Freelance writers were invited to call the
>numbers if they wanted "their work to remain available."
>
>When one dials the numbers, a recorded message, citing
>the Supreme Court decision, says that the Times is
>"obliged" to remove freelance articles from electronic
>archives. Writers are then told that, if they want
>to keep their material in the Times' electronic archives,
>they must sign a contract-available on the web or via
>mail-granting the Times' the rights to your articles,
>for no further compensation AND releasing the Times
>from any claims for compensation in the future. 
>
>The National Writers Union is asking writers everywhere
>to flood the NY Times with phone calls immediately
>beginning at 9 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday
>June 27, 2001 (if you see this message after that time,
>it's still important to make the calls). We are asking
>that you make two calls. The first to the automated
>message-when you reach the message, do not select the
>option to visit the web. Wait until the message ends
>and gives you options to receive the contract via mail
>and leave a recorded message making the following points:
>We want fair compensation for our work. We will not
>sign away our rights under duress. We believe in preserving
>the public record and there is no reason to delete
>articles-the Supreme Court cited licensing systems
>as one option. The NWU has created the Publication
>Rights Clearinghouse, which will resolve the liabilities
>from the lawsuit by legally licensing rights to individual
>articles 
>
>Then, call the office of the Times' Publisher Arthur
>Sulzberger and object to the Times' rejection of offers
>the NWU has made to negotiate, as well as the paper's
>attempt to take away rights from writers without fair
>compensation. 
>
>Phone numbers: 
>Automated message: (212)-556-8008; (212-)-556-8009;
>888-814-2698 (toll free) 
>
>Arthur Sulzberger: 212-556-3588 
>
>Send an e-mail to nwu at nwu.org to let us know you made
>the call! 
>
>Solidarity, 
>
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>
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