To the Editor:

The Executive Committee of the Providence Newspaper Guild has voted unanimously to endorse John Hill for Region One vice president.

John has been president of the Providence Guild since 2003. In that time, he led the union toward the resolution of a years‑long contract standoff, which ended with one of the best contracts in the newspaper industry. He brokered the union's absorption of bargaining units at two additional newspapers. In recent contract negotiations for the Providence Journal unit, John led a
bargaining team that beat back efforts to cut wages and retooled the company's health‑plan proposal so that it did not unduly burden our members.

John knows how to be both tough and conciliatory, always working for reasonable solutions. Under his leadership, we've favorably resolved nearly every conflict with management ‑‑ without resorting to grievances. Always ready to listen, John has been a unifying force for our local (which can be as argumentative and fractious as any). As a sign of the unity and engagement he's achieved, the Providence contract vote last week drew 82 percent of unit members; the contract was approved by a margin of 3 to 1.

The executive committee's endorsement of John was not merely unanimous ‑ it was enthusiastic. John Hill provides the kind of steadfast, level‑headed leadership the Guild needs in these challenging times.

--Felice J. Freyer, Executive Committee Member
Providence Newspaper Guild