Hillman Foundation

The Best of the Week’s News:

• Kathy Hochul’s nominee for chief judge faces stiff opposition because he’s anti-union and anti-abortion. (Common Dreams, Vox, Times Union)
   
• A cabin cleaner explains why she and her union are demanding action to protect the airline service workforce. (Forbes)
   
• The Federal Trade Commission has proposed a sweeping new rule that would ban non-compete clauses. (NYT)
   
• Video game workers gain a union toehold at Microsoft. (NYT)
   
• “He’s getting paid to kill us”: Milwaukee slumlord  stiffs tenants on heat during deadly cold spell. (Journal-Sentinel)

The Best of the Week’s News:

• Staffers at the New York Times staged a historic 24-hour strike, seeking a fair share of the paper’s rising profits. (WaPo)
   
• Reporters, editors, and columnists were joined on the NYT picket line by IT specialists, security guards, sales coordinators, and freelancers. (The City, The Nation)
   
• Peter Baker and Micheal Shear of the NYT’s DC bureau scabbedyesterday’s strike. (NYMag) 
   
• Students occupied a building at the New School  in support of a job action that has become the longest adjunct strike in U.S. history. (Teen Vogue)
   
• A Miami judge has thrown out another voter fraud case brought by governor Ron DeSantis’ “election police.” (Miami Herald)

Toronto, Ont. (Nov 15, 2022) - The Sidney Hillman Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2023 Canadian Hillman Prize honouring excellence in investigative journalism in service of the common good.

The Hillman Prize celebrates print, digital and broadcast reporting that exposes social and economic injustice and leads to meaningful public policy change. 

Eligibility: Entries must have been published or broadcast in 2022 and made widely available to a Canadian audience. Nominated material and a cover letter explaining how the entry meets the requirements can be submitted here. There is no fee to enter.

The Canadian Hillman Prize winner(s) will be awarded a $5,000 honorarium and a certificate at our celebration in Toronto to be held on March 30^th as well as travel to New York City to be a guest at the U.S Hillman Prize ceremony. Honourable mentions will also be awarded.

Previous Canadian Hillman Prize winners include The Walrus, the Globe and Mail, the Crackdown podcast, CBC’s fifth estate, the Toronto Star, the Hamilton Spectator, the Calgary Herald, the Edmonton Journal, CBC/Radio-Canada and TVO. 

Judges:

This year’s Canadian judges are: Neil Docherty - internationally acclaimed documentary maker; Garvia Bailey - arts journalist, broadcaster and producer; and Bonnie Brown - documentary and news producer, CBC Radio and Television.

Timeline:

January 15, 2023 - Deadline for entry

Mid-March, 2023 – Winner(s) announced

March 30, 2023 – Winner(s) honoured at Canadian Hillman Prize ceremony - Toronto 

May 9, 2023 – Winner(s) honoured at U.S. Hillman Prize ceremony - New York City

“The Sidney Hillman Foundation is proud to recognize the exceptional work of journalists who hold those in positions of power to account and encourage public discourse,” said Canadian board member, Alex Dagg. “Journalism is a cornerstone of a well-functioning democracy and has the potential to initiate the public policy changes that move societies forward. The Hillman Prize is not only an acknowledgement but also a token of gratitude for the essential work of journalists in their pursuit of truth.” 

Since 1950, in the United States, and 2011 in Canada, the Sidney Hillman Foundation has honoured journalists, writers and public figures who pursue social justice and public policy for the common good. Sidney Hillman was the founding president of the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union of America, a predecessor union of Workers United, SEIU. An architect of the New Deal, Hillman fought to build a vibrant union movement extending beyond the shop floor to all aspects of working people’s lives. 

For entry or event questions, please contact: 

Alexandra Lescaze

alex@hillmanfoundation.org or 917-696-2494

For more information about the Hillman Prize, please visit hillmanfoundation.org.

The Best of the Week’s News:

• Chipotle illegally shut down store to thwart union effort, officials say. Immigrant organizers say the fresh Mex chain fired them for organizing. (HuffPo, Documented NY)
   
• Apple’s first unionized retail outlet has filed an unfair labor practice complaint, accusing management of withholding benefits. (Apple Insider)
   
• Why sick leave is a huge issue for America’s rail workers. (NYT)
   
• World’s richest man poised to light $44 billion on fire at Twitter. (WaPo)

The Best of the Week’s News:

• Amazon’s relentless productivity demands are turning minor injuries into chronic conditions. (Insider)
   
• Big Lie conspiracy theorists are running to be Secretaries of State, and some of them could win. (NYT)
   
• Railroads reject union’s ask for seven paid sick days out of hand in a move union official calls “asinine.” (CNN)
   
• Cartels recruiting teens to drive migrants with promises of quick cash on social media. (WSJ)
   
• Rich antisemite spends lavishly to take over critical swing county in Nevada. (KNUR)