Hartford Television Workers Fight for Jobs, Fair Contract at Two Local Stations

Hartford Television Workers Fight for Jobs, Fair Contract at Two Local Stations

Out-of-State Company Threatens to Terminate Contract

HARTFORD, Conn., Aug. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 75 technicians and broadcast employees at two local television stations, WFSB and WSHM, owned by Meredith Broadcasting, have been fighting for a fair contract for nearly two years, and now face management's threat to terminate their contract.

Meredith Broadcasting, the Des Moines, Iowa, based media company that owns the stations, has notified the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-CWA that it will terminate the contract as of 12:01 a.m., on Aug. 3.

The current contract covers nearly 75 union-represented employees: photographers, editors, maintenance engineers, and technical operators. It expired on Apr. 19, 2004. For nearly two years, union members have been pressing for a fair agreement, but the company's proposals have fallen far short.

"Meredith Broadcasting's anti-union bias is all too clear in its bargaining demands," said Andy Halpin, vice president for NABET-CWA Local 51017. "This company is doing very well, with its financial reports indicating that operating profits are 25 percent higher this year than in the year-ago period, with most of that gain coming from the broadcast division. Ours is the most profitable of Meredith's stations, but management is making demands that will make things easier for management to lay workers off."

Meredith wants to take away workers' jobs and refuses to guarantee employees the ability to move into the new jobs being created by technology, the "jobs of the future," despite the fact that current broadcast employees and technicians have the ability and skills to perform this work.

Other important issues for members include threatened layoffs, proposed cuts in benefits and vacation, and the establishment of a pay plan that would not provide fair wage increases for workers.

Meredith has hired an Atlanta-based management law firm that specializes in "union avoidance." The parties will continue to meet in August and September, but no additional dates are scheduled beyond Sept. 9.

NABET-CWA has filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board over unilateral changes in the contract that the company has made, and has several issues still to resolve in arbitration.

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which represents the on-air employees at WFSB, settled a contract in late 2004 after lengthy negotiations that included many unfair labor practice charges filed against management.

Halpin contrasted Meredith's anti-union stance with the productive labor relations NABET-CWA has at other area television stations.

Source: National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-CWA

CONTACT: Andy Halpin, Vice President, Local 51017, of the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-CWA, +1-860-944-2798

Web site: http://www.cwa-union.org/

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