Deadline for submission of nominations is May 2. They must be received at TNG headquarters in Washington by that date in order to be judged by the Executive Council.
Given annually for outstanding service to the Guild at the local union level, the Service Award is open to members who serve in an unpaid capacity as officers or in other responsible positions.
Its purpose is to recognize and encourage the development of local Guild leadership. Individuals must be sponsored by their locals and nominated by the local executive board or representative assembly or a general membership meeting. This authority may not be delegated — to units, for example — as some locals have sought to do in the past. Nor may one local nominate a member of another local.
The importance attached to the award by the Guild is second to no other award. TNG-CWA's Sector Executive Council has urged "every local to give serious consideration to the possibility of nominating someone from its ranks who has demonstrated that quality for which the Award is given — outstanding Guild service on the local level — in order to make the contest a meaningful competition among deserving local leaders." Emphasizing the same theme, the judges and Guild conventions have specifically urged more small locals to consider submitting nominations for the Award.
The award is a scholarship of up to $2,000 for a course in trade union education "appropriate to the winner." Typically, there are no fees, or minimal ones, for short courses; basically, the scholarship is applied to the costs of room, meals and travel, plus lost time. In some cases, locals have supplemented the scholarship with funds of their own to cover expenses, particularly for a longer course.
Judges will be selected from among TNG-CWA Vice Presidents.
Among the rules:
Eligibility is reserved to local Guild members who, during the past year, have held office or other responsible positions such as unit officer, steward or committee member. In special circumstances, consideration may also be given to persons who can reasonably be expected to assume such office or positions upon completion of their studies. Paid local officials and employees of locals are not eligible.
There are no academic requirements.
Nominations must include, or be accompanied by, a detailed description of the achievements and qualifications of the candidate. In the past, some locals have neglected to provide the information, with the result that judges had insufficient data on which to evaluate the candidate.