President's Message January

It’s always fun and challenging to talk about the Guild’s Annual Meeting because it gives me a chance to talk about what we've accomplished in the past year and what we have to do in the coming year. It is also is a busy time because this year the Annual Meeting was followed by the meeting of the International Federation of Reprographic Rights Organisations (IFRRO) in New Zealand. Then I had a personal event that involved a 1000-mile round trip, and close on the heels of Thanksgiving I had to fly to New York to look at proposed office space for the Guild. Now that all the traveling is done, I can get back to all the things that need doing, such as this column for instance.

UAW Disaffiliation Complete
Recapping the year, I would first like to mention that we are totally split from the UAW as of our last loan payment in December ’05. We voted to split in 2004, but we had an outstanding loan, which we negotiated to a lesser amount. We received an official letter of our disaffiliation in the beginning of 2006. Our affiliation didn't work out for a number of reasons, and the Membership wisely voted to end our relationship. We also settled the contract for the Channel 13 designers who we left in limbo for a time by our UAW disaffiliation. The settlement was good and retroactive to the end of the last contract, so all the designers were happy. I have to thank attorney Gene Eisner for his help in both these efforts because his assistance and his knowledge have been invaluable to the Guild.

Desperately Seeking Volunteers
The Guild held its national election in July. There were no challenges to the officer or Board positions, and we managed to fill those vacant seats on the Executive Committee and other committees. So I thank you for your support and hope that we can continue to keep you happy for the next two years. The news last night had a piece on volunteerism; it said that Americans are spending their spare time volunteering in record numbers. I wish I could say that the Guild was faced with that kind of a situation, but alas, it isn't so. We would love to be flooded with volunteers, especially on the chapter level because the reports we hear at the Annual Meeting are almost universally ones of leadership overwork and burnout. In the face of a depressed market for the graphic arts and the assault against copyright in the form of the Orphan Works Bill, we need to be strong now more than ever. The National Board voted to put into place paid administrators to help lessen the burden on chapter officers.

Streamlining, Updating, Advocating, and Forming Alliances
We instituted a change in the dues structure and in the billing procedure, moving to an annual renewal date for all members, which replaced the anniversary renewal for each individual member. The changes were made to streamline dues collections and reduce the cost of doing the associated paperwork. The changes have appeared positive so far, and the updating of our database has also helped the process. Membership numbers seem to be doing well, and we are hoping that we can show an increase in those numbers, as well as in renewals of membership.

The Guild has been working hard to form alliances with other graphic arts organizations to combat our shared challenges. Lisa Shaftel, Advocacy Chair; Trish, National Administrator; and I, your Prez, have met with a number of organizations and coalitions over the year in an effort to battle the Orphan Works Bill, which is still alive and a threat to all creatives. Most of our efforts have been positive, and the graphic artists, photographers, crafts people, industrial designers, and intellectual property owners are united in their opposition to the Orphan Works Bill—logistics are of course a challenge. We are working on a lobbying effort and hope to have it ready before the Bill reappears for consideration.

The Guild belongs to the Authors Coalition of America (ACA), a group of creator organizations that receives reprographic money and distributes it to member organizations, which use the funds as stipulated by those organizations that collect the funds. The Guild, along with other graphic arts organization members, receives title non-specific reprographic funds through our membership in the ACA. We have suggested to other graphic arts and illustrator organizations that they join this coalition if they qualify and receive a share of these funds. Since the Guild belongs to this coalition, and since the coalition is successful in securing agreements to receive funds, the Guild is pleased to be involved in this successful effort. Lisa Shaftel has written a number of good articles on Reprographic Royalties and on Orphan Works. To learn more click here.

Website Redesign
And speaking of the Guild Web site, you should have received an RFP notice on the redesign of the Web site, via e-mail in early December. The Guild Board, Executive Committee, and staff all see the need for a real voice on the Internet, and the Guild is now in a position to afford to tackle this project. We solicited our Membership for a talented individual or group to make a new, interesting, and easy-to-maneuver site that will be informative and up to date. A number of members responded and the selection process is underway as I write this letter.

New Digs
The Guild will be moving the National Office to new quarters at the end of February. Our lease is over at our present location, and we hired a broker this fall to search out suitable space. Tricia has looked at a variety of spaces, and I saw the best prospects, so we should have a spot selected as this goes to press at a reduced rate from our current rent! We aim to get better, and we always make an effort to do it according to a strict budget.

A Job Well Done
A wrap up of the year would not be complete without thanking the Executive Committee for their huge contribution of time and effort to the Guild—they really make that extra effort that makes the Guild function and function well. Lisa Shaftel was recognized as Volunteer of the Year at the Annual Meeting for her work on Orphan Works and artist's rights and reprographic issues; I wish we had more like her. The Board members deserve praise for their efforts as national reps and for their work at the chapter level—great job, please don't burn out. The staff—Trish, Barbara, and Tamara—also deserve thanks for all their hard work. Thanks, everyone, for making my job easier.

Click here to visit John's June 05 President's Message.

Click here to visit John's March 05 President's Message.

Click here to visit John's December 04 President's Message.

Click here to visit John's November 04 President's Message.

President's Message January, 2007

President's Message
January, 2007