VOLUME 62, #2 • Summer 2013 - CWA

VOLUME 62, #2 • Summer 2013
NABET
CWA News
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCAST EMPLOYEES & TECHNICIANS
THE BROADCASTING AND CABLE TELEVISION WORKERS SECTOR
O F T H E CO M M U N I C AT I O N S W O R K E R S O F A M E R I C A
{www.nabetcwa.org}
Printed in the U.S.A.
CO NT R AC T R AT I F I E D AT D I S N E Y / A BC
dicated talk shows “Katie” and “Live with
Kelly and Michael,” as well as the ESPN
programs “Pardon the Interruption,”
“Around the Horn,” and “Highly Questionable” also are covered by this agreement. Additionally, this new contract
establishes NABET-CWA jurisdiction for
ABC- provided content for the newly
launched “Fusion” cable news, a joint venture between ABC/Disney and Univision.
Enhancements from ABC’s last offer
were obtained in the areas of economics,
jurisdiction, and retirement benefits for
staff and daily hire employees. The contract
offer was improved to add an additional
year of security, setting a new expiration
date of March 31, 2017, as well as an additional wage increase. The new agreement
also requires early negotiations for the next
Master Agreement, commencing by Octo-
ber 1, 2016, with automatic involvement of
federal mediators if a successor contract is
not reached by March 1, 2017.
The wage offer contains a total of 9% in
wage increases over the next four years
(2.5%, 2.0%, 2.0%, and 2.5%). The first
annual wage increase of 2.5% is retroactive
to March 30, 2013.
Local 53 Prevails in Grievances against
NBC’s Tonight Show, Mundo/Fox
A
grievance filed by NABET-CWA
Local 53 over personal leave payments
turned out to be extremely successful
for the 15 Daily-Hire NABET members
who were the subject of the dispute. In a settlement reached with NBC in April, the
company and the Local agreed to a
$200,000 award, making it one of the largest
cash settlements in Local 53’s history.
The dispute arose when 15 NABET-CWA
members employed as Daily Hire camera
operators on The Tonight Show with Jay
Leno were not given their annual personal
74th CWA Convention, April 22-23, Pittsburgh
NABET-CWA members on
The Tonight Show with Jay
Leno crew are pictured
backstage with Local 53
President President Steve
Ross (in center).
leave payments as called for in the NBC
contract. The payment, negotiated in lieu of
vacation time or personal leave, is equal to
five percent of a member’s base pay from
the previous year. But, beginning about
three years ago, the Company decided not
to provide the personal leave payments to
these employees because some of them had
been paid “over scale” wages. This is a
common practice, Local 53 President Steve
Ross said, as the company will pay over
scale to certain camera people if they really
want to hire them.
Ross believed NBC was obligated to
make the payment, and because the employees never signed anything to the contrary with the company, the Local filed a
grievance last year. Eight months later, the
case was assigned to arbitration, but the
company settled prior to the hearing.
“We’re really proud of this important victory for our people,” Ross said.
KWHY (MundoFox22)
Local 53 also won a recent arbitration case
against the owners of Spanish-language
KWHY-TV (MundoFox) after the company
cut news editors’ pay by five percent. The
award amounted to a $100,000 payout for
12 people.
The news editors contract calls for an additional $5/hour in pay if they use FinalCut
Pro in their work. The trouble started in
February 2012, following a change in station ownership when the new owners declined to pay the negotiated rate. The
workers made the station’s General Manager aware of the missing payments, so the
GM increased their pay. Unfortunately, it
was a move that ended up costing the GM
his job.
NABET-CWA filed a grievance when the
company continued to refuse payment. The
arbitrator ruled to restore their pay, including back pay to February 2012.
NABET-CWA delegates and staff who attended the convention.
Page 1 • NABET NEWS • Summer 2013
W W W. N A B ET C W A . O R G
O
n May 9, NABET-CWA ABC Locals
ratified the new four-year Master
Agreement reached on March 22, following a 15-hour mediation session held in
Washington, D.C. under the auspices of the
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service’s national director, George Cohen. The
previous Master Agreement at
Disney/ABC expired on March 31, 2011.
The tentative agreement contains significant improvements to ABC’s July 17, 2012,
stated “last, best and final” offer.
“The persistence of our members and our
bargaining committee to achieve a fair contract was instrumental in this outcome,”
said NABET-CWA President James Joyce.
“NABET-CWA also appreciates the full involvement of FMCS Director George H.
Cohen and CWA President Larry Cohen in
producing the tentative agreement.”
The newly ratified agreement covers approximately 2,500 staff and daily hire
broadcast technicians, newswriters, producers, desk assistants, publicists, and plant
maintenance personnel at various Company Network and TV station operations in
New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Los
Angeles, and San Francisco.
The contract includes ABC News and
entertainment programs and ESPN sports
broadcasts airing on ABC. Nationally syn-
NLRB Nomination Campaign: A Key Step in Protecting Workers’ Rights
T
oday, the National Labor Relations
Board (NLRB) is without a full fivemember board, making it impossible
for important labor cases to move forward,
including two cases involving NABETCWA members. Your Union is fighting to
bring justice to its members by urging the
U.S. Senate to make the Board
whole and confirm the five
nominees, three of whom
currently sit on the
Board.
On May 22, the
Senate Labor Committee approved the
five nominees, with
the two Republican
nominees receiving
unanimous approval,
and the Democrats,
including two “recess”
appointees, gaining approval with voting along
party lines. Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), said he
would wait until July to bring all nominations to a vote by the full Senate.
The nominees must be confirmed before
August, when the term of one of the current
NLRB members ends and the Board will be
without a quorum and be unable to function. The very real threat of a filibuster
looms over this vote.
Further aggravating the
process, is a recent Court of
Appeals case – Noel Canning – that upheld Republican arguments that
Obama’s “recess” appointments were unconstitutional. The
NLRB has petitioned
the Supreme Court to
review this case, but if
it stands, it may put
more than 900 board rulings at risk, including the
CNN and the NBC Content
Producer cases.
NLRB-CNN Case Timeline:
2003: CNN abruptly terminates its service agreement with Team Video Services
(TVS), the sub-contractor that provided videographer staff to the network, telling workers to reapply for their jobs
2008: NLRB Administrative Law Judge Arthur Amchan issues a scathing decision
against CNN and orders the immediate reinstatement of 110 workers
November 11, 2011: CNN announces the elimination of a number of videographer positions nationwide, without any prior notice to the Union
November 17, 2011: NABET-CWA files more charges against CNN in response to the
new wave of layoffs
2013: NABET-CWA and CWA begin “Victims of the NLRB” campaign to show photos of real people who faced the hardships caused by the backlog at the NLRB.
Unions Form United Front at FOX
No NLRB
No Voice
Victims of the NLRB
Get Involved
For NABET-CWA members, a crippled
NLRB means that the long-standing complaint against CNN will continue to languish until justice prevails. It has been
nearly 10 years since CNN unjustly fired
more than 100 employees in Washington,
D.C. and New York, and five years since the
NLRB Administrative Law Judge ruled in
the Union’s favor. The judge ordered CNN
to reinstate 110 workers, restore the economic losses of all 250 workers and recognize and bargain with NABET-CWA. CNN
responded in 2011 with another round of
layoffs, over which the Union filed more
unfair labor practice charges. To date, these
workers still don't have their jobs, back pay
or Union representation.
CWA Convention delegates vowed to mobilize and work together to make the NLRB
whole. A resolution, “Protect Workers
Rights, the NLRB, and Reform Senate
Rules,” encourages:
■ Every CWA local, working with others in
the labor movement and our allies, to join
in a campaign of mobilization, demonstrations, and direct action to demand that the
Senate confirm a full package of NLRB
nominees.
■ Every CWA local to urge members to
“Text NLRB to 69866” in order to build a
large rapid response network as part of this
and other campaigns.
■ CWA to join with other partners to restore our democracy, change Senate rules to
permit debate and votes on nominations
made by the President and eliminate the
Washington gridlock which undermines
government.
NABET-CWA, IATSE and IBEW Join Forces
W W W. N A B ET C W A . O R G
O
n May 8, NABET-CWA members joined
with their brothers and sisters at the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage
Employees (IATSE) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) who are
employed by FOX television stations in
Chicago, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia,
Washington and Los Angeles to push back
against FOX’s continued calls for extreme cutbacks in negotiations.
The three Unions mobilized at informational
hand billing outside of FOX television stations
and corporate offices across the country, sending a clear message to management and the public that the unions and its members will not be
divided, and further demanded a fair contract in
each city. The Unions encouraged all union
members at these stations to bring the message
inside the workplace by wearing the
“IATSE~NABET~IBEW – UNITED FOR ONE
CAUSE” wristband on the job that day.
Displaying a united front: NABET-CWA, IATSE,
Contract talks are ongoing, seemingly without
and IBEW members at FOX stations wore
end, at WFLD, WNYW/WWOR, WTXF,
WTTG/WDCA, and KTTV/KCOP, and are set to wristbands to work.
begin at WJBK. FOX management has insisted
on turning back the clock on wages, jurisdiction, and benefits. All this, despite double-digit
revenue increases in recent years, and ratings as the top-owned television station group in
the industry.
“FOX executives are looking to squeeze extra profits off the backs of NABET-CWA,
IATSE, and IBEW, members,” said NABET-CWA Local 53 President Steve Ross. “Management is attacking vacations, meal periods, and everything else we have worked so hard
to gain over many years.”
Page 2 • NABET NEWS • Summer 2013
4th Annual New Activist Training (NAT)
Sign-up deadline is August 15!
September 20-23, 2013
The Conference Center at the Maritime Institute
Linthicum Heights, Maryland
T
his year’s NABET-CWA NAT is combined with the Newspaper Guild’s New
Local Officer Seminar (NLOS). The joint training will bring CWA media sector activists together for three days of intensive skills-building, with hands-on,
practical workshops and bargaining exercises.
Union staff and officers will conduct the training for new Union officers who
want to learn more, up-and-coming stewards, Executive Board members or activists. Participants will learn mobilization techniques and strategies and discover
what it takes to be a steward or local officer.
The cost per participant is approximately $630, which includes meals, lodging,
and educational materials. Travel costs are not included in this fee. Locals that receive subsidies for attending Sector conferences and RAB meetings are eligible for
economic assistance for one student per Local.
All questions should be directed to Carrie Biggs-Adams at [email protected], or call 202-415-1147. Information about the Maritime Institute can be
found at www.ccmit.org.
All Locals must notify the Sector of the names of those attending by August 15,
2013. Space is limited and is first-come, first-served.
NABET-CWA REGIONS 2 AND 6
facing more.” In addition, she
and others are concerned about
the power relinquished to Detroit’s emergency manager.
Local 43: Working for change in Detroit
N
ABET-CWA’s Local 43 represents
about 100 members at WDIV-TV
(NBC) and WJBK-TV (FOX) in Detroit, Mich. The city’s economic troubles
have added a new challenge to the work of
the local union.
Local 43 Vice President Dorethea BrownMaxey, who currently is serving her second
term, is a News Editor at WDIV, the PostNewsweek station, where she started her
television career in 1986. Brown-Maxey
was quickly introduced to NABET-CWA
when, after only working there for six
months on a part-time basis, her co-workers
walked out over a contract dispute – and
she joined them.
“I grew up in a Union household, so I
knew what Unions were about,” BrownMaxey said. “We were a UAW and Teamsters household. I soon discovered that not
all Union benefits were alike.”
She credits NABET-CWA RVP 6 Bill
Wachenschwanz with convincing her to run
for Union office after she took part in the
CWA’s Minority Leadership Institute. “I
had the privilege of attending the 2008 MLI
Class. From that point on, I realized that for
as long as I’m employed, I’m going to be
intricately involved in my union.” BrownMaxey also took part in the Union’s first
New Activist Training in 2009.
The Local is involved on many fronts, not
the least of which is negotiations at WJBK
(FOX). Unit members wore wristbands in
support of the national May 8 joint mobilization with NABET-CWA, IATSE and
IBEW (see page 1). They didn’t engage a
local mobilization at that time because they
were working under their existing contract
and bargaining hadn’t begun. Negotiations
began a few weeks ago, with the next round
scheduled for the end of July.
The stability of members’ work lives goes
hand-in-hand with the economic health of
the city of Detroit itself. In bankruptcy and
with a newly appointed emergency manager
at its helm, Detroit is “in a fight to stay
alive,” said Brown-Maxey.
Politically, she says Michigan is “hemorrhaging,” with little representation for the
working class. NABET-CWA is working
closely with the Metro AFL-CIO to over-
Moving Forward
Local 43 Executive Board at the Regional Advisory
Board 2 & 6 Conference in Detroit (left to right): Joe
Harris (WJBK), James Wegehaupt (WDIV), V.P.
Dorethea Brown-Maxey (WDIV), Treasurer Kent
Culpert (WJBK), President Brian Moore (WJBK), Bob
Schedlebower (WJBK) and Secretary Lisa Dickinson
(WJBK).
turn the right-to-work law that took effect
on March 28, compliments of Michigan’s
governor, Rick Snyder. Working through
the legal process, unions argue that Republicans pushed the legislation through in December when the state Capitol was closed
off to the public.
“NABET-CWA and other unions are trying to do their share in terms of helping the
economic situation, but it is difficult when
the city itself is bankrupt,” Brown-Maxey
said. “Detroit’s unions have been struggling: city workers are taking pay cuts and
teachers who already agreed to pay cuts are
The key, Brown-Maxey believes, is for Unions to “rethink” its tactics and strategies, “understand
our history, and get out there and do something for the workers, the people, and the
schools.”
“We need to educate people,” she said.
“Coming out of school, young people today
don’t know us or understand the labor
struggles of the past. They are willing to
work for less because they don’t understand
the value of their work. We need to make
them realize that making $30/hour isn’t asking too much. Companies aren’t hurting.
We’re the ones that are hurting. We have to
get in the schools and teach this.”
Brown-Maxey thinks unions need to
show others that their work is not just about
jobs, but also about people.
“People seem to think we are a separate
entity within ourselves, not for the people,”
she said. “We need to let them know we are
part of the community: we are them.”
Local 43’s “Power Up” mobilization event in 1996, which included a dinner and mobilization:
(L-R) Morty Bahr, Jim Harris (back turned), John Clark
(L-R) Lou Ural, Wes Hallmark
(Back Row, L-R) Lisa Dickinson, Tom Balanowski,
Jennifer Mazure, Kathy Herd. (Front Row, L-R) Deb
Freedlander, Lori Bruce
(L-R) Don Jerigan, Morty Bahr, Bob Shaffer (grey
sports coat)
T
he members of Local 21 in AlbanySchenectady-Troy, N.Y., don't seem
very fond of change. They've had two
presidents for most all of the last 60 years.
Fred Saburro was elected in the mid-1950s
and served until becoming Regional Vice
President of the Union in 1980, a position
he continues to hold. After brief terms of
office by two successors, Bill Lambdin became local president in 1985 and has won
re-election every few years since. The city
of Albany has had only three mayors since
the start of World War II, so perhaps
lengthy terms in office are part of the area's
political tradition.
The CBS affiliate, WRGB-TV, is celebrating 85 years of broadcasting, after starting experimentally in 1928. At that time,
the station was owned by General Electric,
which had a large base of operations in the
Schenectady area. Employees of the TV station and its powerhouse 50-thousand watt
clear channel WGY-AM realized they
would fare better with union representation
and organized with the predecessor of
NABET in the early 1940s. For many years,
Channel 6 dominated the local market,
drawing large audiences for local and network programming. The station had a long
history of locally produced programs, including long-running kids show Freddy
Friehofer (named for a delicious area bakery), the longest running TV bowling show
in the country, TV Tournament Time, with
two regulation lanes in the TV station, Teen
Aged Barn, a weekly talent showcase, and
two forms of a high school quiz competition, Little Red Schoolhouse and Answers
Please.
In the late 1960s, employees at the ABC
affiliate, WAST-TV, were growing increasingly unhappy with their pay and benefits.
They reached out to Local President
Saburro and the international Union for organization. In 1969, members in news, engineering and production voted by a wide
margin to join NABET. In the decades
since, pay and ratings caught, and in some
cases exceeded, the once-dominant WRGB.
Now, members at the two union-represented
stations enjoy significantly better conditions than at the non-union operations in the
market. Local 21 President Lambdin credits
the “wall-to-wall” nature of the WNYT
(WAST's changed call letters under previous owner Viacom) unit's composition with
much of their strength. “While no bargaining unit can dictate terms on a take it or
leave it basis,” Lambdin
said, “the reality that a
work stoppage would remove anchors, reporters,
news photographers and
producers, as well as all
the production and engineering work force has
served to guarantee reasonable treatment in labor- President Bill Lambdin; Standing L-R: Secretary Bruce Ullich, WRGB
Steward Chris Mastrianni, WRGB Steward Mark Zwinak, Treasurer Patrick
management negotiations
Tubiolo, WNYT Steward Paul Spadafora. Absent on Class Photo Day: Vice
through the years.”
Over the years, the local President Duffer Kendrick
has been responsible for
small bargaining units at several other radio active and prominent in Albany area labor
activities. The familiar appearance of longand TV stations in the region, including the
time NABET-CWA members at the State
PBS outlets. Most of the contracts have
faded with changes in station operation and Capitol and other news venues has helped
assure labor's voice is heard while not comemployment practices like centralized, repromising journalistic standards. Local 21
mote or computer-controlled switching. “It
helped play a significant role in lobbying
has been disappointing from time to time,”
efforts to bar the previously widespread
Lambdin said. “But at least the legal backpractice of non-compete clauses in often
ing of a strong union has assured that afpoorly compensated personal service confected employees received reasonable
tracts. Now, NABET-CWA members and
treatment when change arrived.”
other broadcast employees are free to offer
The local has a strong relationship with
CWA Local 1118, which allows Local 21 to their services on the open market without
geographic and time restrictions when fixed
use its Colonie headquarters for monthly
terms of employment have ended.
meetings, rent-free. Local 21 has also been
Page 3 • NABET NEWS • Summer 2013
W W W. N A B ET C W A . O R G
Local 21: NABET-CWA’s oldest non-network local
N B C S P O RT S
G O L F
C R E W
Growth in sport’s popularity a boon to NBC and sports crews
R
ick Fox had just returned from the
busiest stretch of NBC’s biggest
sports draws: golf. This year, Fox and
his fellow members of NBC’s “Golf Crew”
spent seven weeks straight – from February
to April – on the road covering golf tournaments from coast-to-coast in Tucson, Houston, San Antonio, and the Florida cities of
West Palm Beach, Miami, Tampa and Orlando. Though these weeks are an important
time of year, golf is year-round these days,
having grown from a two-day, weekendsonly sport, to a four-day extravaganza of
coverage.
Fox, who serves as NABET-CWA Local
11’s Shop Steward for the Golf Crew, has
been with NBC since 1984. He has worked
the 18th green camera since 1988 and also
is a Technical Director, working closely
with NBC Sports Management. Fox makes
sure all of the cameras get built safely and
properly, assigns camera crews together and
manages their time. He also works to ensure work rules, including safety regulations, are followed precisely.
Much has changed since Fox started at
NBC 30 years ago. In 1984, NBC covered
six golf tournaments a year, compared to the
current schedule of 26 tournaments. Each
tournament involves a week of travel, set-up
and broadcast. Thirty years ago the broadcast schedule consisted of 4.5 hours every
weekend: two hours on Saturday and 2.5
hours on Sunday. With news commitments
to produce content for multiple platforms,
the crew now spends dozens of hours producing and telecasting golf coverage.
“During the U.S. Open, we were on the
air for 10 hours, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.,” said
Fox. “This means we are in at 4 a.m. every
morning and working until 8 or 9 at night.”
Approximately 50 cameras are used for
the U.S. Open, compared to about six cameras 30 years ago. “We used to cover just
the 14th hole and up,” said Fox. “Now, we
do full, 18-hole coverage.” For this year’s
U.S. Open, there will be a crew of about
150 NABET-CWA members.
W W W. N A B ET C W A . O R G
Golf Channel grows under NBC
The fastest-growing cable channel, by percentage of daily viewers, is the 500-employee Golf Channel. According to the Golf
Channel’s president, Mike McCarley, the
credit goes to NBC’s takeover of the channel in early 2011.
In a philly.com article, McCarley, a former NBC executive under Dick Ebersol,
said that the Golf Channel, launched in
1995 by Arnold Palmer, develops programming around golf and the golfing lifestyle.
In anticipation of golf’s return to the
Olympics in 2016, the Golf Channel released a live-streaming application similar
to one used by NBC for the London
Olympics.
In 2012, the Golf Channel averaged
95,000 daily viewers, compared with
70,000 in 2010, resulting in a 36 percent increase in viewership. In comparison, the
other top-five broadcast television or cable
networks by daily viewership growth between 2010 and 2012 were: ION (31%),
MSNBC (25%), History (18%) and Telemundo (18%). Golf is distributed to 84.4
Page 4 • NABET NEWS • Summer 2013
Vince Vezzi
(Video)
Larry Cirillo
(Audio)
Chris Acker
(Audio)
Rick Fox
(Camera)
Ed Krivis
(Rat-Cam)
Jim ‘Judge’
Wachter
(Rat-Cam)
million U.S. cable- and satellite-TV homes,
and is available in 35 million non-U.S.
homes.
In December, Golf added the National
Collegiate Athletic Association golf championships. The first men’s NCAA championship will be broadcast in 2014 from the
Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson,
Kan. This will be the first live college men’s
championship on television in 19 years.
The Golf Channel will televise men’s and
women’s championships the next year from
the Concession Golf Club in Bradenton,
Fla., the first live women’s college championship on television in 17 years.
NBC’s merger with the Golf Channel, as
well as its agreement with the United States
Golf Association, brought a whole new level
of golf to NBC, and means more work for
NABET members. NBC covers many national championships, including the U.S.
Open, the U.S. Women’s Open, the U.S. Amateur, and the U.S. Senior Open. The NBC
Sports/USGA partnership began in 1995.
“We have a terrific relationship with them,”
Fox said. “Our partnership with them was a
tremendous shot in the arm for us.”
The network also covers the PGA Championship, the President’s Cup, and the
Ryder Cup.
“The President’s Cup and Ryder Cup
tournaments are a very big deal, as they
play for the pride not the money,” explained
Fox. “We cover those events extensively.”
Following the seven-week tour, Fox says
TPC Sawgrass’ signature hole is the Stadium
Course’s 17th, known simply as the “Island
Green.” Technically a peninsula, it consists of a
78-foot-long green with a tiny bunker in front of
it, and is completely surrounded by water. It is
estimated that over 100,000 balls are retrieved
from the surrounding water every year. NBC
placed a robotic camera alongside the green.
he and the crew go on alternating one-week
on, one-week off schedules, culminating in
September with the FedEx Cup in Atlanta.
According to Fox, the FedEx Cup has become huge, with the winner claiming $10
million in prize money.
Technology Amps Up Coverage
Golf’s popularity has attracted the advertising dollars needed to upgrade equipment
and add more people to cover the sport.
Overall, everything from microphones to
handheld cameras is of higher quality,
adding state-of-the-art technical sophistication to NBC’s golf coverage.
The network now uses small, roving,
manned vehicle cameras, dubbed “rat
cams,” that move around the golf course
following the action. Three or four rat cameras can move down fairways and near
greens where it may be difficult to place a
fixed camera. Fox likens these cameras to
oversized VWs.
Most of the camera work is done on scaffold towers, which are sometimes built as
high as 12 or 13 sections – 100 feet in the
air – or the equivalent of a 13-story building. Each tower is equipped with at least
one camera.
Another big change is the use of color
viewfinders. Until recently, the crew utilized black-and-white viewfinders. This upgrade, along with advancements in lenses,
super slow motion, and steady cam features
have helped camera operators produce a
higher quality images.
The use of robotic cameras has become
commonplace also, Fox said. These devices
can be placed in unusual locations, such as
the middle of a lake, for very specialized
camera shots. At the TPC Sawgrass in
Ponte Vedre, Fla., NBC placed a robotic
(Continued on page 5)
FA R N H A M ,
S R .
D
on Farnham is the longest-serving, active member of NABET-CWA, the
Union he joined 65 years ago while
working at ABC-TV in Chicago. The following has been reprinted, with permission,
from an article written by Bob Uphues and
published in the Riverside-Brookfield
Landmark on May 21:
Don Farnham wasn't particularly concerned as landing craft headed toward the
black sand beaches of Iwo Jima on Feb.
19, 1945. His division, the 3rd Marines,
was in reserve. He was shipboard, sitting
out the landings.
That was fine by him. Seven months
earlier, in July 1944, he had been among
the first Marines assaulting the beaches of
Guam. Mortar shells, artillery shells and
machine gun bullets rained like hail as he
and the four other members of his naval
artillery observation team tried to identify
targets for the destroyers offshore.
His landing on Guam was inauspicious.
Leaving the Amtrac that carried him
ashore, he tossed his radio over the side
before jumping out after it. The Amtrac, a
tracked amphibious vehicle used by
Marines in their beach landings, promptly
made a U-turn and crushed the radio.
"The first lieutenant said to tell the
colonel I needed a new radio," said Farnham.
He didn't think that was a very good
idea, and instead snagged one from the
headquarters company without alerting
the regimental commander of his blunder.
Then he and his team, part of the 3rd
Joint Assault Signal Company — JASCO
for short, set about directing naval gunfire. He says his training helped him operate despite his fear.
"Everybody is scared," said Farnham,
who was an 18-year-old at the time of the
NBC Sports Golf Crew
(Continued from page 4)
camera in the pond alongside the 17th Island Green, giving viewers a unique perspective.
During his “off-the-road” weeks, Fox
works out of 30 Rock. “I’ve worked on virtually every show in the building, including
nine years of Saturday Night Live, the
Today Show, Nightly News, Letterman,
Donahue, and the Olympics (nine winter
and summer).” In honor of his work, Fox
has won 15 Emmys over the years.
The schedule sounds difficult, but it has
allowed Fox to bring his wife and two sons
to see some sporting events. His oldest son
was impressed enough to follow in his footsteps and is now a NABET member working for NBC in New York. Ryan Fox works
as a utility person for the Today Show and
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. His other
son Christopher just graduated with honors
from college.
Fox considers his job “a nice, rewarding
occupation,” with the “added opportunity to
capture Wood’s winning putts.”
What he didn't know at the time was the
Marines would lead him to a long career in
radio and TV, one that would include winning
a pair of Emmy Awards. In 1943, Farnham had
no idea what life had in store for him.
Guam invasion. "You do your job. You
don't want to let down anybody. Your mind,
you're like a robot."
It would be a month before Guam was
secure. During that time, Pfc. Farnham
experienced trying to sleep in foxholes
filled with water, Japanese banzai attacks
and the surreal experience of a Japanese
tank rolling right into the battalion command post area one night and pausing before the tank commander popped his head
out of the hatch to look around. Seeing
nothing, he ordered his tank to leave. No
one fired a shot.
He also saw the first member of his
JASCO team, the scout sergeant, killed in
action.
It was a long way from Phoenix, N.Y., a
small town northwest of Syracuse, where
Farnham grew up. As a 17-year-old senior
in high school in 1943 he enlisted in the
Marines, "because they were considered
the cream of the crop."
At the time of his graduation, Farnham
had four brothers serving in the U.S Army
— one of them, a B-17 flight engineer
would die in a raid over Regensburg, Germany. Another, Ralph, fought with the 9th
Army in Belgium and was awarded the
Bronze Star.
Instead of risking getting drafted, Farnham wanted to control where he ended up.
So he chose the Marines. Heading toward
Parris Island on a barge with other new
Marines, he got a sinking feeling.
"I thought, 'Maybe this was a bad
idea,'" he said.
What he didn't know at the time was the
Marines would lead him to a long career
in radio and TV, one that would include
winning a pair of Emmy Awards. In 1943,
Farnham had no idea what life had in
store for him.
He certainly didn't imagine it would include a perfectly aimed mortar shell directly hitting his JASCO position on Iwo
Jima on Feb. 23, 1945.
Things had been rougher on Iwo Jima
for the U.S Marines than expected. Instead
of staying in reserve, Farnham's JASCO
team was on the island by March 22. Near
the airfield in the center of the island, his
team set up their radios and generator in a
shell crater.
At one point, a telephone wire got cut
and Farnham braved the near continuous
mortar fire to go splice it. Japanese positions were 100, maybe 200 yards away. His
team's commander, 1st Lt. John Burke,
told him he was going to write him up for
a citation for his bravery.
Burke never got the chance.
A mortar shell scored a direct hit on the
team's crater. Farnham was stunned and
didn't realize what had happened right
away.
The man working the generator, Charles
Austin, was killed instantly. The team's
other telephone man, Tommy Wuller of
Belleville, Ill., was wounded, a pinhole
puncture in his abdomen. Farnham didn't
think it looked that bad.
"Tell my mother I had time for some
prayers," Wuller told Farnham.
"I said, 'You're not gonna die. We're
going to get you out of here.' But he did
die later on the hospital ship."
The scout sergeant, Duthie Marr, had
what looked like a bad head wound. Farnham later learned he survived.
Burke had been wounded earlier that
day. A sniper's bullet had grazed his buttocks, but he stayed with the team. He was
again wounded by the mortar shell. As
Burke was being carried away on a
stretcher, he was hit again by another mortar.
Farnham never again saw Burke, who
died from his wounds on March 4.
Of the five men in his team, one was
dead, two mortally wounded and one seriously wounded. Farnham, 19 years old at
the time, was untouched.
The team's radio telephones were damaged. Farnham couldn't reach anyone to
give him orders on what to do. So he
stayed in the hole, alone, all night.
"That was a hellish night," Farnham
said. "There were grenades rolling in, I
think from both sides."
While he couldn't hear anyone on his
telephone, others could hear him. The next
morning two other JASCO men came to
get Farnham. They destroyed the equipment with a hand grenade, took the code
books and left. It would be the last time
Farnham would be on the front line.
Without a team, Farnham worked at the
battalion CP doling out equipment to
other units. After a few days, an officer
asked him, "Do you feel like going back
up there?"
Farnham was honest.
"I said, 'No, I don't. If I'm ordered, of
course. But I'm not volunteering.' And he
said, 'Well, let's leave it at that.' So I stayed
back there."
He was still at the battalion CP on
★
March 17, when the island was almost secure. They gathered up souvenirs —
Japanese flags and sabers — and traded
them to a fighter pilot for some whiskey.
They had a St. Patrick's Day party. Three
days later, Farnham headed back to Guam
to train for the invasion of Japan, which
was called off when Japanese surrendered
in August.
"That was great news," Farnham said."
We expected to be there another year, at
least."
Instead of working in one of the paper
mills near Phoenix after the war, Farnham
— now someone with radio training —
used the G.I. Bill to fund further training.
With waiting lists delaying entry to schools
out east, he headed to Chicago's DeForest
Training School (later DeVry) and later to
a program in Kansas City. In April 1948,
Farnham sent resumes out to ABC, NBC
and CBS in Chicago.
ABC contacted him and a week later he
was working the sound board for radio
programs like "Terry and the Pirates" and
"Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy."
By September of that year he was working as a cameraman for ABC-TV in
Chicago. He would stay with the company
for 45 years, working as a cameraman for
Monday Night Football, the Super Bowl,
the World Series and three Olympic games.
He was part of the ABC crew that traveled
with Richard Nixon to China in 1972.
Farnham won his first Emmy Award as
a cameraman in 1959 and would snag a
second for his work at the Winter
Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y., in 1980.
In 1996, a couple of years after he retired from ABC, Farnham joined the fledgling Riverside Cable Commission, which
televises village board meetings and other
notable events.
At the age of 87, he has just been re-appointed to another three-year term on the
commission.
In 2005 and again in 2010, Farnham returned to Iwo Jima.
"Looking out the plane window in 2005,
I had tears in my eyes," he said. "I'm just
an emotional guy. There's very little you
can recognize. When we left there, there
wasn't a blade of grass."
Farnham honored during
Memorial Day event
Don Farnham was the honored veteran during the annual Riverside Memorial Day ceremony on May 27, at the Veterans Gold
Star Memorial Garden in Guthrie Park in
Riverside, Ill.
Participants included the Riverside American Legion, Riverside United Methodist
Church, local Boy Scout and Girl Scout
troops, Riverside police and fire departments and musical performances by students from Riverside-Brookfield High
School and St. Mary’s Parish.
The program also included an honor roll
call of Riverside's war dead; placing of a
wreath honoring service members killed,
missing and taken prisoner during the nation's wars; a 21-gun salute and the playing
of "Taps."
Page 5 • NABET NEWS • Summer 2013
W W W. N A B ET C W A . O R G
★
D O N
Former GE Negotiator/
Retiree Scolds Company for
Benefit Cuts
S
omething amazing happened at this
year’s General Electric shareowners
meeting in New Orleans on April 24.
Dennis Rocheleau, a GE retiree who at one
time was GE’s chief negotiator, lambasted
GE’s senior management and Board of Directors for discontinuing Post-65 retirement
benefits for salaried employees, retirees
and their spouses if they are not 65 and enrolled in Medicare on January 1, 2015.
This includes a Medicare Supplement Plan,
Prescription Drug Plan and Life Insurance.
I was so moved by Dennis’s words that I
thought it important to include it my
NABET News column. It is a re-print from
an article in the IUE-CWA Local 201
newsletter. As you read Dennis’s statement,
you sense his anger and disappointment in
the very people he worked for. His reference to “Jeff ” is GE Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt:
T
hank you, Jeff…As much as I want
to improve corporate governance, the
character of GE as demonstrated by
its treatment of its employees and retirees,
is of even greater importance to me. As I
wrote to you personally, Jeff, the Company’s September announcement that it
was breaking certain retirement healthcare benefit “promises” was deeply disturbing to me. I asked you for a seat at the
table before I was put on the menu. Being
afforded none, I have crashed this venue.
The lawyer in me acknowledges that
Section 5.4 of the 2012 Benefits handbook for GE pensioner healthcare options
at age 65 gives the company the right to
amend the retiree healthcare plans for
any reason. But the changes set forth in
John Lynch’s September 2012 letter are so
dramatic and utterly surprising to some
GE retirees and long-service employees
that I feel compelled to repeat the words
...................After the Show
by Bill Freeda
NABET-CWA National Coordinator and President of the Media Sector, CWA Retired Members Council
of Edmund Burke that I quoted in a different context five years ago in Erie: “It is
not what a lawyer tells me I may do, it is
about what humanity, reason and justice
tell me I ought to do.”
The proposal at issue constitutes a sea
change in company behavior contrary to
all reasonable expectations and experience. It gives little consideration to recent
retirees, now left with no GE post-retirement, Post-65 health care, who made irreversible retirement and financial
decisions based on the GE benefits described in their retirement papers – papers
which made no reference to the possibility
that this coverage could be terminated for
any reason.
That company executive would propose
such actions and the board would approve
them is astonishing to me, given the absence of financial imperatives such as impending bankruptcy or several years of
unprofitable performance or even wildly
escalating healthcare expenses for the
company. When the initial notice of this
evisceration did not even attempt to quantify the financial impact on the average
salary employee or retiree and the concomitant enrichment of the company, I
knew the news had to be very bad for current and future retirees. That lack of
courage, candor and transparency on the
company’s part was, frankly, insulting.
A passion for cutting excessive costs is
an admirable quality if honestly expressed
and intelligently administered, but brand-
ing commitments to long-service employees as “legacy costs” does not give the
company license to fleece retirees while
countenancing the use of chartered or
company aircraft to shadow the global express on certain international trips. Where
is the competitiveness in that?
I’m fortunate enough to enjoy a substantial pension for which I worked for 36
years and I value every penny. Being
asked to shoulder an unanticipated
$50,000 bill in additional future costs is
something of considerable consequence to
even me. For many other near and current retirees, the financial impact of losing coverage they counted on is much,
much greater. In the case of some married
future retirees who will lose eligibility for
retiree life insurance, the value is
$125,000 or more.
If anyone here today would like a more
vivid description of the pernicious nature
of this change, see me after the meeting.
Suffice it to say, the changes which reduce
the company’s post-retirement health and
life benefit liability by $832 million comes
with a high personal price tag for each of
the thousands of current and future retirees.
I believe I had earned my benefits but I
did not appreciate how fragile a purchase
I really had on them. Naively, I believed
the mantra I mouthed on behalf of GE at
the bargaining table over three decades, to
representatives of tens of thousands of
employees and retirees: “Promises made
by GE are promises kept.” In retrospect, I
did not perform as well as I thought I had.
I failed to live up to my standard of being
candid and forthright with union representatives whom I always respected, even
when I often disagreed with them.
Several efforts to establish a reasonable
dialogue with the company about this decision, to understand the context and justification for it and to explore acceptable
alternatives to it, have been rejected. The
protocols of fair treatment for loyal, longterm salaried employees that I believe
should exist have been unceremoniously
abandoned.
In the eyes of many retirees to whom I
have spoken, most of who are shareholders, the company defaulted on its obligations, turned its back on its traditions, and
renounced its oft-stated integrity values.
Accordingly, I would like very much to
have answers for three questions, which in
the interest of giving others the time to
talk about issues of importance to them, I
will submit to you in writing with the expectation of a reply. For now, I ask only
this: Where, in your view, does the process
of benefits reduction logically end other
than at the trust fund protected portion of
our pensions?
NBCU Alternative: Enroll in
Medicare
F
or NBCU employees that are 65 years
of age and still working for NBCU on
January 1, 2015, there is an alternative. I have been told that you will be allowed to waive the NBCU medical benefits
package during the 2014 open enrollment
period, and enroll in Medicare, making you
eligible for GE’s Post-65 Retirement benefits. Please contact me with any questions:
[email protected]
INDEPENDENT REPORT
(Continued from page 8)
NABET Career Day
N
W W W. N A B ET C W A . O R G
ABET-CWA participated in Career
Day at the 2013 National Association
of Broadcasters Show on April 8th in
Las Vegas. This is the fourth year the Union
has participated in the event.
Staff Representatives William Murray
and Eric Seggi greeted approximately 100
people who visited NABET-CWA’s booth,
engaging in dialogue about the broadcasting industry and handing out NABETbranded promotional items.
“We talked to a lot of young people, right
out of college, looking for jobs in the industry,” Murray said. “They were particularly
interested in the job listings on the NABETCWA web page, especially when we
showed them the new smart phone app that
now includes that information. Some even
downloaded the app right there on the spot.”
Along with career information, Murray
and Seggi were
able to talk to
potential television workers about the
Union’s work, including training opportunities.
“Eric and I told them what Unions are
about and how important it is to work in a
Union shop,” Murray explained. “Most
were very open-minded about Unions and
appreciated the information.”
NABET-CWA Staff Representatives William Murray (left) and
Eric Seggi manned the Union’s table during Career Day.
Page 6 • NABET NEWS • Summer 2013
Gabalski, Rich Ersing, Jim Diavastes, and
NABET-CWA Staff Representative Lou Fallot.
Local 25 President Roy Schrodt joined the
group during the last round of talks.
WCCO-TV – Minneapolis, MN
The National Labor Relations Board in Region 18 issued a complaint against WCCOTV (a CBS O&O), which substantiates the
Union’s claim that the company was driving the unit to impasse over a permissive
subject of bargaining. The matter will be
decided following the submission of briefs.
The Company told NABET-CWA that unless
the Union agreed to a change in jurisdiction and allowed AFTRA members to perform unit members’ work, a contract
agreement would not be reached. There are
four Unions on the property: NABET (sat
trucks and photographers), IBEW (studio
work), AFTRA (producers, writers, reporters)
and Teamsters (vehicle maintenance).
There are a dozen people in the NABETCWA Local 411 unit of satellite truck operators and photographers at WCCO.
I N
M E M O R I A M
importantly, Eadie was a mentor to scores
of young colleagues who passed through
the station, both in front of the camera and
behind the scenes,” Fox said. “Our thoughts
are with Bill’s wife Marie and their family.”
Bill Itkin
Bill Eadie and Ed Spillett during an MDA Telethon in
the late 1980s
Bill Eadie
M
embers of NABET-CWA Local 211
are mourning the loss of a Syracuse
television pioneer: former local
president Bill Eadie, who passed away on
April 18 after a long illness. He was 79.
“You can't overstate Bill's impact on
NewsChannel 9/WSYR and the community,” said Tim Fox, a reporter for WSYR.
According to Fox, Eadie helped put the station on the air as WNYS in 1962, and
served as studio crew chief for many years
until his retirement in 1997.
Eadie was part of the creative team that
turned out hour after hour of live, local programming in those early years, including
“Dance Party” with a young Rolland Smith
(who later anchored the morning news at
CBS) and a local phenomenon, "Baron Daemon,” a comical character who hosted late
movies and a kids’ show in the 1960s. Eadie
also was instrumental in the formation of
NABET-CWA Local 211 in the early 1970s.
Throughout his long career, Eadie was a
favorite of visitors to the station, Fox remembered. He sang impromptu duets with
world-famous vocalists who visited the station, and stunned Sugar Ray Leonard with a
playful right hook that caught a little more
chin than either of them expected. “Most
B
ill Itkin, 89, of Tinton Falls, N.J., died
on November 7, 2012. A veteran of
the U.S. Marine Corps, Itkin was a pioneering lighting director for ABC-TV,
where he plied his craft for over 35 years
and was a member of NABET-CWA Local
16. He retired in the
1980s. Itkin’s daughter,
Susan, works for NBC
and is a member of
NABET-CWA Local 11.
Susan writes, “His
warmth, kindness, and
sense of humor will be
greatly missed by his
family and all who
Bill Itkin
knew him.”
John Polito
J
ohn Polito was born July 1, 1922, in
Somerville, Mass., and passed away on
June 4 at the age of 90. He is survived
by his wife of 68 years, Rose, his three children, five grandchildren, and three greatgrandchildren. His daughter, Antoinette
Stealey, works in the NABET-CWA Local
57 office.
Polito served as a Staff Sergeant in the
Army Air Corps during World War II, and
later worked at ABC Television from 1958
through 1984. In 1984, he became the
Local President of NABET-CWA Local 57
until his retirement in 1991. John also was a
trustee on the ABC-NABET Retirement
Trust. After his
retirement,
Polito returned
to school to obtain a paralegal
certification.
“His family always was, and
will remain,
the most imJohn Polito
portant thing to
him, and the
closest thing to his heart. They will miss
him deeply,” the family said in a statement.
A memorial service was held in his honor
on June 15 in Westlake Village, Calif.
Gene Salisbury
F
ormer NABET-CWA attorney Eugene
Salisbury, 82, died on March 27 in
Blasdell, N.Y.,
after a brief illness. He
was a senior partner in
one of Buffalo’s leading
law firms, Lipsitz,
Green, Fahringer, Roll,
Salisbury & Cambria,
specializing in labor
law. He joined the firm
in 1961 and continued
Gene Salisbury
to practice law until his
death.
Salisbury served in the Army during the
Korean War, attaining the rank of first lieutenant. He was awarded the Purple Heart
and the Bronze Star.
Salisbury graduated cum laude from the
University of Buffalo Law School in 1968
and was managing editor of the Buffalo Law
Review. He took part in the honors program
at the National Labor Relations Board.
Salisbury was a police officer for the village of Blasdell for five years, before serv-
ing as the Blasdell village justice for 50
years. He had extensive experience in collective bargaining, grievance and arbitration
procedures and regularly practiced before
the New York and Federal courts as well as
administrative agencies having jurisdiction
in labor relations. He also represented various employee benefit funds such as retirement, health and welfare.
Salisbury told RVP2 Fred Saburro that
his wife worked two jobs to put him
through school.
“Gene was probably the sharpest and the
most knowledgeable about what NABET
does, of anyone I know,” said Saburro. “You
didn’t want to be cross-examined by Gene
and most would try to settle the case before
they’d have to deal with him.”
Saburro said Salisbury worked on many
arbitrations in Washington and New York
and always had the case foremost on his
mind, often prepping for a case late into the
night.
“We won cases that we had no right to
win,” Saburro said. “In addition to being an
outstanding attorney, he was also one of the
nicest guys I knew.” Calling him a “sartorial
splendor,” Saburro said he “always looked
polished and never had a hair out of place.”
Saburro once complimented a tie Salisbury
was wearing, and he promptly took it off
and gave it to Saburro, saying, “You know
this is only going to work once.”
Salisbury was named to The Best
Lawyers in America since it’s inception in
1983. One of the attorneys that worked for
him was Mark Pearce , a current member of
the National Labor Relations Board. He
was a past president of the New York State
Magistrate Association and received its
Magistrate of the Year Award in 1967. The
award was renamed in his honor in 2001.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years,
Joanne, five children, 13 grandchildren and
seven great-grandchildren.
Low-power FM radio licenses available to non-profits in fall
Unions see unique opportunity to spread message
Prometheus Radio Project
The Prometheus Radio Project, NABETCWA, and other groups lobbied the govern-
ment for over a decade to free the airwaves
from corporate control. In 2011, the Local
Community Radio Act was finally signed
into law. Prometheus Radio’s mission is to
use participatory radio as a tool for social
justice, organizing, and a voice for community expression.
Prometheus helped the Coalition of
Immokalee Workers (CIW) build their station in 2003 to support their struggle for
human rights in South Florida’s agricultural
fields. They've used the station, which
broadcasts in five languages, to organize
hundreds of farm workers and win historic
labor campaigns targeting companies including McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco
Bell, Subway, and more.
“This is an opportunity to provide outreach to members and get retirees involved,”
stated Sector President James Joyce.
Another big benefit of radio is that it’s
easy to produce, free to consume, and accessible to more people across the world
than any other mass media. For the consumer, it does not require expensive equipment, literacy, or a broadband connection.
Prometheus Radio estimates that the equip-
ment needed to get up and running, including the transmitter and antenna, could cost
as little as $10,000.
Competition for Licenses
This could be the last distribution of FM
radio licenses by the FCC, so competition
will be intense. When the law was passed,
FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said in
a statement, “There is no way of knowing
exactly who will apply, but we expect to see
literally thousands of new applicants.”
If there are multiple applicants for a single license that all meet the minimal requirements, the FCC will use a points
system to help choose who gets a license.
Points are awarded to organizations that
pledge to air at least eight hours of local
programming daily, and offer a publicly accessible studio that is staffed 20 hours per
week, among other things. In the event of a
tie, the FCC will ask the two organizations
to share time on the dial.
Any nonprofit can apply. They’ll be limited to 100 watts or less, limiting their range
to between three and 10 miles. In some
urban areas, such a station could reach as
many as a million people. That’s why more
than 3,000 individuals and groups have told
Prometheus Radio they want to start stations.
Getting On the Air
NABET-CWA is seeking volunteers with
technical expertise to match up interested
members. The Newspaper Guild will provide content.
To find out more about building peoplepowered media in your Union, visit
www.radiospark.org. Radio Spark is a community-powered site for groups that want to
apply for LPFM radio licenses and for those
who want to support them. Created and
maintained by the Prometheus Radio Project, this site is a place for community radio
novices and experts to ask questions, share
resources, and connect with allies. Groups
that want to start a station can connect with
others nationwide to share ideas, recruit volunteers, and build a community of support
by geography, target audience, genre or any
other criteria they choose.
Page 7 • NABET NEWS • Summer 2013
W W W. N A B ET C W A . O R G
I
n October 2013, community groups and
non-profits have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to apply for low-power FM
(LPFM) radio licenses offered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Community radio stations can help unions
bring their message to people who may not
hear it on today’s corporation-run radio.
This is the largest expansion of community radio in U.S. history, offering a unique
opportunity to unite people, build local
civic participation, and create solutions to
the economic and social challenges many
communities face today.
Local radio is a proven organizing tool
and can help expose workplace issues,
bring people together for change, and is a
means for cultural expression. An additional benefit would be to correct the lack
of diversity in media ownership, which influences the programming heard on the
public airwaves today. And, 90% of Americans listen to the radio each week.
INDEPENDENT REPORT
PBS – Washington, D.C.
On June 1, members of NABET-CWA Local 31 voted to ratify a new three-year contract at PBS. The agreement,
which was overwhelmingly ratified, will go into effect on
July 1, but a ratification bonus of $1,000 was paid on
June 14. Raises of 2.5%, 2.5%, and 2.5% per year will
apply to the 44 members of the technical bargaining
unit, which includes both Crystal City and Springfield,
Va., facilities. Minimum rates under the contract are:
Technicians:
$65,000 and Supervisors: $91,678, effecLocal 31 member records vote
tive July 1st. The Editor Level 1 will increase to $70,000, and
Level 2 will increase to $77,000 on July 1,
2014. Technicians below $75,000 in salary
will have their base wages adjusted by their
performance bonuses beginning in 2014. Performance bonuses will increase in 2014 to
$1,000 for “exceeds expectations” and
$1,500 for “extraordinary.” The bargaining
committee included bargaining unit member
Charles Coates and NABET-CWA Staff Representative Carrie Biggs-Adams, who credits
the Union’s political work to save PBS fundLocal 31 officers Moe Thomas, Rich McDermott and
ing, including the Million Puppet March, in
Alton Morris tabulate ratification ballots at PBS
helping to reach a deal.
Montgomery Community Television (MCT) – Rockville, MD
A tentative 3-year contract was reached for the dozen staff and approximately 30 freelancers at
this public access station. The agreement calls for a 3% increase on July 1 of this year, with additional money spread out among those participating in a performance evaluation during each
year of the contract. All job categories that had been in Rate Code 1 moved into Rate Code 2,
which adds up to an additional $1.20/hour. In addition, the minimum rate code (Rate Code 1A –
training rate) increased from $9/hr. to $11.22/hr.). The Union also obtained a guarantee that unit
members would be assigned to any and all new platforms (including the web). There will be a
wage re-opener on July 1, 2014, for the final two years of the contract to align with the board of directors’ annual budget approval. However, disbursement of performance evaluation money will
continue regardless. The bargaining committee, which is unanimously recommending ratification, includes unit member Barbara Kreiger, Local 31 President Rich McDermott and NABET-CWA
Staff Representative Louis Fallot.
KTTV/KCOP (FOX) – Burbank, CA
A new tentative agreement was reached in off-the-record talks for the engineering group at KTTV
after an early tentative was overwhelmingly rejected last November. Though the network’s profits
are up 30%, Local 53 President Steve Ross said, the new agreement calls for a 4% pay cut and
the loss of a week of vacation. The bargaining committee recommended the package for ratification, but for the second time in less than 12 months, the contract offer was overwhelmingly rejected by the membership. No new dates for continued bargaining have been set.
W W W. N A B ET C W A . O R G
WJBK-TV – Detroit, MI
The Company and Union met for the first time on May 29 to discuss a contract for 60 engineers,
technical, news, maintenance, editors and master control employees. During the first meeting,
the employer presented an over-reaching jurisdictional proposal that would strip the bargaining
unit of jurisdiction over shooting and editing. The negotiating committee told the Company in no
Local 43 members surprised management with
informational picketing at WJBK.
Page 8 • NABET NEWS • Summer 2013
uncertain terms that their proposal was way beyond any reasonable accommodation and was a
non-starter.
To emphasize the Union’s displeasure with the Company’s proposal, Local 43 held an informational picket in front of the station the morning before the second bargaining session. About 25
members stood outside of WJBK-TV and held signs protesting the Company’s regressive proposals. The Company’s bargaining committee got a big surprise as they drove past the picket line
when they entered the building.
Needless to say, the employer heard the Union’s message loud and clear. The Company began
the second day of bargaining by backing off many of their first-day proposals. “While we’re still a
long way from reaching an agreement, the negotiating committee and membership have set the
tone for the remainder of these negotiations,” stated NABET-CWA Staff Representative Eric Seggi.
The bargaining committee consists of Local 43 President Brian Moore, Mike Moore, Kathy Herd,
Kent Culpert, and Seggi.
WFSB-TV – Hartford, CT
As part of a mobilization for the May ratings book, the Union canceled its extension agreement
with the company on April 2, which had been in place since November 2011. The Union and the
Company then met on April 22, where the Company requested a mediator sit in on negotiations
because of the cancellation. The session was held under the auspices of federal mediator Joe
Dubin. Significant progress was made, and the two sides are working on the economic terms. Negotiations are scheduled to continue on June 24. Bargaining Committee members include Local
17 President Andy Halpin, Cory Peck, Ernie Whitehead, Al Wurst, and NABET-CWA Staff Representative Louis Fallot.
NABET-CWA Counsel Judi Chartier has filed a number of cases with the NLRB against WFSB, including the issue of assigning non-NABET-CWA-represented individuals to shoot video. An arbitration
with the station took place on April 23. The Union lost a previous case over the Use of MMJs in
Hartford, but held onto jurisdiction. Briefs are being prepared and must be submitted by July 13.
KMEX-TV – Burbank, CA
KMEX contract negotiations are ongoing. The KMEX bargaining committee last met with the Company on May 20, and there are two items remaining on the table: wages and health care. The Union
met with the Company again on June 21, and members are invited to attend the bargaining sessions. If you are interested in attending, please contact the bargaining committee: Leroy Jackson, Sal
Solorio, Roy Crumpton or John Soltero.
WIVB-TV – Buffalo, NY
On June 21, a tentative four-year agreement
was reached at WIVB in Buffalo, N.Y., for the
50-person NABET-CWA unit at the station.
Contract highlights include annual wage increases of 3.25% for those making less than
$525/week, and 2.25% raises for those making more than $750/week. The company also
has agreed to contribute more money to the
medical benefits plan, and will continue the
company-sponsored Health Reimbursement
Account (HRA). In the new contract the HRA
will be expanded to allow a rollover period for
use of funds for three years. The Union was
successful in eliminating Sideletter 7, preserving jurisdiction over
MMJs. Committee is
unanimously recommending ratification.
The Bargaining Committee includes Local 25
Chief Steward Ron
(Continued on page 6)
Official Publication of the Communications Workers of America (AFLCIO, CLC)
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Layout: Chadick + Kimball
Sector Officers
Sector President James Joyce
Sector Vice President Charles Braico
Regional Vice Presidents
Region 1 - Richard L. Gelber
Region 2 - Fred W. Saburro
Region 3 - Maurice “Moe” Thomas
Region 4 - Donald R. Farnham, Jr.
Region 5 - Leroy Jackson
Region 6 - William Wachenschwanz