National Writers Union|Chicago
To ensure freedom of expression
we need collective power. . . .

We are already at the barricades.
— Toni Morrison, address to American Writers Congress, 1981

About the NWU

The National Writers Union enters U.S. labor history with the convening of the American Writers Congress in 1981.

Until 2020, the NWU was Local 1981 of the UAW. At present we affiliate with the AFL-CIO directly by provisional charter.

We represent the International Federation of Journalists in the U.S. and can provide our members with the IFJ press pass.

In 2019, the NWU became the home of the Freelance Solidarity Project, formed the previous year by staff laid off from various online publications. The FSP continues today as NWU’s Digital Media Division.

The name National Writers Union speaks to our roots. It doesn’t mean we’re an organization for writers only. We are the union of independent media workers: journalists, photographers, book authors, illustrators, graphic designers, videographers, audio producers, social media managers — content producers and maintainers in every medium.

We’re independent workers in media standing together. We’re American labor. Join us.

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