What is the Newspaper Guild Member Emergency Fund?

It will provide monetary assistance to members of Guild’s San Jose and Monterey bargaining units who are facing financial emergencies as a result of the post-December 2006 layoffs at the San Jose Mercury News and Monterey County Herald.

Why Do We Need It?

The sudden nature of the Mercury News and Herald layoffs will leave some members struggling to pay rent, buy food and pay medical bills. Unemployment insurance and Guild or company severance does not always stretch far enough. The Guild wants to do whatever it can to help our union sisters and brothers through this difficult time in their lives.

Who Will Be Responsible for Overseeing the Fund?A committee of Guild members – Sue Hutchison, Gary Richards and Connie Skipitares -- will serve as trustees who will help to govern the fund and oversee its administration. The Union Community Resources office of Working Partnerships USA will handle the day-to-day activities of the fund.

What are the Standards for Assistance Eligibility?

The Member Emergency Fund committee has established a set of standards to determine eligibility for assistance. Basically, eligibility will depend upon whether the cause of the member’s financial crisis was beyond their control and caused by the layoffs.

Who Will Screen Applicants?

The Union Community Resources Office of Working Partnerships USA will interview applicants for assistance. Our local does not have the time, resources or expertise to do that job. UCR will submit quarterly reports concerning levels of assistance to the Guild.

Guidelines for Member Emergency Fund:

Donations

* The Guild will seek donations for the fund.
* Funds will be held in an interest-bearing account that would allow maximum liquidity.
* All contributions are tax deductible.
* Donation checks should be made out to “Union Community Resources” and mailed to Newspaper Guild Emergency Fund, c/o Union Community Resources, 2102 Almaden Road, Suite 107 San Jose, CA 95125

Eligibility

* Only members of the San Jose Guild’s Mercury News and Herald bargaining units will be eligible for assistance through the fund.
* Applicants will submit an intake form that includes questions about current work status, income, family information and the reason for the request.
* Red tape will be kept at a minimum.
* The fund administrator will interview all applicants after the intake form is completed.
* Documentation will be required for the specific bill or debt for which the applicant needs assistance. That would include shutoff notices from PG&E or a back rent notice from a landlord.
* Bills for luxury items, cable TV or Nordstrom, for example, would not qualify for assistance. Problems that clearly arise out of lapses of personal responsibility will not qualify either.

Payment

* Assistance checks from the fund will be made out to the billing entity: the landlord, the phone company, etc. In no case will the check be made out to the bargaining unit member personally.

Assistance Limits

* In general, assistance will be limited to one assistance grant per member per year. Special circumstances may warrant a second assist within the one-year period, to be decided by the fund administrator.
* The typical maximum benefit is $500. The fund administrator will have flexibility on this point, depending upon an applicant’s individual need.

Administration

* The Union Community Resources office of Working Partnerships USA will determine eligibility for each request for assistance and will disburse funds according to these rules. The Guild does not have the resources or expertise to perform this function. The Guild believes a third party administrator will help avoid the possibility of bias or favoritism. There is no administrative cost to the Guild or fund recipients. One hundred percent of the fund will be available for benefit distribution.

Reporting and Accountability

* The Guild will receive a quarterly report of income and disbursement from Union Community Resources. The report will include information about the amounts and types of assistance rendered but will not includes the names of those helped.