Needham Advancing
to International Post

  Local Service Representative Marian Needham has announced that she is resigning from her position with the local to join the staff of The Newspaper Guild/CWA in Washington D.C.

Beginning in January, she will work as the executive secretary of the contracts committee for the international.

"As much as I have enjoyed working for the local," Needham said, "the opportunity to work with the international officers and all the different locals of the Guild is too appealing to let pass."

The work of the executive secretary of the contracts committee involves assisting Guild locals across the U.S. and Canada with grievances, arbitrations, contract negotiations and membership mobilization. In her letter of resignation to the local, Needham wrote, "This is the kind of work I love to do, and I'm very excited about having the opportunity."

Needham became a member of Local 26 in 1979, when she was hired as a part-time circulation clerk at the Courier Express. While working at the Courier, she served on the grievance committee, bargaining committee and the local's executive committee. After the paper closed, Needham worked briefly in the circulation department at The Buffalo News before being hired in 1983 to work as the local's part-time office secretary.

In 1990, the membership upgraded the job to the local service representative position. Since then, she has worked full-time with Guild members in contract negotiation and enforcement initiatives.

"Helping members create solutions to their workplace problems is really rewarding work," Needham said. "I'll certainly miss working with our local members - many of whom have become close personal friends - but I'm really looking forward to dealing with the challenges of a broader group of members and employers."

Her last day with the Buffalo Newspaper Guild will be Dec. 10.