1. Join other Freelancers Union members as a campaign volunteer in NY
2. Now in our online store: Posters!
3. Creative Freelancer Conference
4. Participate in a survey of IT workers & consultants
5. Funding from New York City Council
6. Journalism seminar: Be part of a panel or breakout sessions
7. New discounts: Gym, art, and film
8. Press roundup: New York Times Magazine
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1.  Join other Freelancers Union members as a campaign volunteer in NY

Freelancers in New York are voting for State Senate and Assembly representatives this fall; these are the people who have the power to make our policy goals in New York State a reality. So we’re asking you to volunteer as a member of Freelancers Union’s Action Squad, which works for candidates who support our agenda—and shows policy makers that we’re serious about getting things done.  When you sign up online, we won’t share your email with any campaign. Someone from Freelancers Union will contact you to let you know when and how you can help.

Our first activity is on Sunday, July 27. If you're interested in hearing more or in volunteering, email advocacy@freelancersunion.org.

2. Now in our online store: Posters!

We always get lots of enthusiastic feedback on our eye-catching NYC ad campaigns, so this spring, we had extra posters printed and are offering them for sale in the Freelancers Union store. They’re brightly-colored, cost $10 each, and feature the slogans “Make Freelance Fair” and “Feeling Permascrewed?” You can also still order our “1099 for Life” T-shirt.

3. Creative Freelancer Conference

For three days in August in Chicago, creative freelancers are coming together for professional development and networking. If you're a designer, photographer, writer, or anyone else in the creative arts, you should check out this conference presented by HOW Magazine and Marketing Mentor. As a Freelancers Union member, you’ll get a $40 discount on the registration rate. Use discount code FRE8.

4. Participate in a survey of IT workers & consultants

Calling all IT workers! Researchers at the University of Manchester in the UK need your help: they’re conducting a transatlantic study on freelance careers in IT and management consulting, and have opened an online survey. It’s your big chance to help advance the scientific study of freelancers worldwide, just by answering questions about stuff like working hours, flexibility, and access to pensions and healthcare. And the researchers have promised to share the results with us when they’re done, so we’ll let you know what they find out. If you want to pass on a link to colleagues, here’s the URL: http://www.mbs.ac.uk/research/europeanemployment/projects/careers-flexibility.aspx.

5. Funding from New York City Council

Working Today - Freelancers Union received funding from the New York City Council to continue to expand its services to independent workers. These funds will help our continuing efforts to explore ways for independent workers to plan and save for periods of low or no-income by offering a savings program uniquely tailored to their needs. We want to especially thank Council Members Bill de Blasio, Domenic Recchia, and David Yassky for being champions of our proposal.

6. Journalism seminar: Be part of a panel or breakout sessions

NABJ Media Institute is putting together a seminar on “The Business of Freelancing: Having a Career You Love and Making a Good Living at the Same Time” in May 2009 in New York City. It’s geared toward journalists who are getting into freelancing, whether because of a layoff, buyout, or by choice, and will help them learn about the business side of freelancing.

If you are a thriving freelance journalist working as a writer, editor, producer, or videographer in print, TV, radio, or on the web, the seminar organizers want to hear from you. Contact Gina Gayle at ginagayle@mac.com if you might want to participate in a panel discussion or breakout sessions.

7. New discounts: Gym, art, and film

Freelancers Union members have access to new discounts (and if you’re getting this e-newsletter, you’re a member!).

DavidBartonGym, with locations in New York, Chicago, and Miami (and future locations in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Seattle), offers discounted gym membership options to Freelancers Union members, including one month free gym membership when pre-paying for eleven months.

Freelancers Union members receive 15% off all artwork from Raandesk Gallery of Art, a virtually-based resource of contemporary art featuring work by emerging artists working in a variety of media from across the globe.

If you’re in the New York area, check out film screenings at the Walter Reade Theater. Freelancers Union members can receive one $7 ticket for weekday matinees (before 6pm) by presenting a voucher available on our website. The offer is only good until September 4, so take advantage soon.

8. Press roundup: New York Times Magazine

In the New York Times Magazine, the article “Network Nation” by Dalton Conley neatly summarizes many of the principles that underlie Freelancers Union’s work. Conley writes that benefits should no longer be tied exclusively to people’s jobs, since workers increasingly don’t have long-term relationships with one employer. He also points out the need for diverse risk pools that allow people to purchase insurance as a group. The article references Freelancers Union directly as an example of an organization that is already doing these things. Conley’s short column is highly recommended reading for anyone interested in re-imagining the social safety net.