The Chicago News Guild
Local Leadership
Local Officers
CNG’s President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary and Treasurer make up the Local Officers. Officers are elected biennially in even-numbered years by secret ballot membership referendum.
Owen Schmidt
CNG President
Owen Schmidt is a field organizer at SEIU Local 73 currently serving his first term as president of the Chicago News Guild. He previously served as a steward and Guild delegate to the Chicago Federation of Labor and brings to the over 8 years of organizing and labor movement experience to CNG. Originally from Massachusetts, Owen helped lead a successful union drive with United Food & Commercial Workers 1445 before moving to Chicago to work in labor professionally. Outside of work, you will find him playing drums and pointing out OSHA violations in daily life.
Billy Rivi
CNG Co-Vice President
Billy Rivi is a support staff employee for the Illinois Federation of Teachers. He previously worked as a teacher's aide at a large suburban high school, where he also served as an elected leader in his union. He lives on the city's Northwest Side with his wife and dog, and you can usually find him at the movies or on his bike.
Kaitlin Washburn
CNG Co-Vice President
Kaitlin Washburn is a general assignment reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times. She has also worked in newsrooms in Missouri, California, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. She is a San Diego native proud to call Chicago home.
Ramah Kudaimi
CNG Co-Vice President
Ramah Kudaimi is a member of the Action Center on Race & the Economy (ACRE) Staff Union. She is experienced in corporate accountability campaigns and organizing against Islamophobia, and she does her work with a commitment to collective liberation and transnational solidarity. She previously worked at the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights and is a former member of the National Committee of the War Resisters League.
Omar Salem
CNG Co-Treasurer
Omar Salem has been a Union Professional Issues Director with the Illinois Federation of Teachers since 2021. Prior to working at the IFT, he worked in public schools for over 13 years, serving as a department union representative and Equity Chair of the North Suburban Teachers Union. Omar's journey reflects his deep commitment to building a stronger collective voice. He is currently the Guild Delegate for the Illinois Organizers Union.
Local Executive Board
CNG’s Executive Board consists of all elected Local officers, all elected unit chairpersons, and unit delegates and alternates elected by each unit at the rate of one delegate and one alternate for every 50 members. Executive Board members serve as the connection between their unit and the Local. All Executive Board members are expected to sit on a CNG committee. Each unit shall receive nominations for, and elect annually, in January or February, unit delegates and alternates to Local Executive Board.
Unit board members (unit chair, unit delegate and alternate) can be found on each unit’s page.
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