FSP hosts a mix of public and members-only programs, panel discussions, happy hours, and other events to encourage knowledge sharing and solidarity within the freelance labor community. Below is a selection of recent programs and panels—check out our public calendar, or subscribe to our email list to be kept in the loop about upcoming opportunities!
☆ Ongoing ☆ FSP Labor Film Club
Monthly Twitch screenings of labor films, often with introductions by freelance film critics. Recent screenings have included Sierra Pettengill’s RIOTSVILLE USA, Stewart Bird & Deborah Shaffer’s THE WOBBLIES, and Rosa von Praunheim’s I AM MY OWN WOMAN. Subscribe to our email list to receive next month’s invitation.
No Such Thing as a “Union Boss”
Strikes are big news right now. Movie and television writers are sticking to their pickets, the Screen Actors Guild voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, and a strike may be on the horizon for more than 350,000 UPS workers, the largest potential work stoppage in US history. So why is so much media coverage of strikes still so bad? In this virtual panel, labor journalists Maximillian Alvarez, Braden Campbell, Sarah Jaffe, and Kim Kelly shed light on common failures of uninformed and anti-worker labor reporting. Video available here.
Ukrainian Freelancers on the Front Line
“Local journalists” and “fixers” are often undervalued and ill-supported despite their vital contributions to journalism in conflict zones. In solidarity with our freelance journalist colleagues in Ukraine, we hosted an online panel discussion in April 2022 to hear directly from Ukrainian freelancers about the challenges they’re facing and the support they need. Video and transcript available here.
Why Medicare for All Matters to Freelancers
In July 2021, we hosted an online panel discussion about the Medicare for All Act and its potential effects for freelance workers. The conversation included Rhiannon Duryea, the national coordinator for the Labor Campaign for Single Payer; Natalie Shure, a writer for The New Republic; and Dominic Harris, president of UE Local 150 in Charlotte and chair of UE 150’s Medicare for All campaign.
How do Freelancers Honor a Picket Line?
When staff unions strike, management often reaches out to freelancers in an effort to keep publications running. Whether we’re personally approached to work during a strike or not, what’s our role as freelancers? This members-only May 2021 event brought together freelancers with extensive experience in labor, labor organizers with experience freelancing, and representatives from The New Yorker Union to get FSPers ready for the impending Conde Nast strike.