NBC's Failure to Negotiate With Employees Could Cripple the Network With Advertisers When it Counts

NBC's Failure to Negotiate With Employees Could Cripple the Network With Advertisers When it Counts

As Advertisers View Upfront Presentations and Negotiations Remained Stalled, NBC Fall Line Up Could Be Reduced to YouTube Videos, Says Workers

** NBC's Potential Fall Line Up On Public Display. ** http://NBCFallLineup.com

NEW YORK, May 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Advertisers watching the big television networks' fall schedules for the first-time this week got a shocking preview of NBC's "fall lineup" online over the weekend.

The new website - http://nbcfalllineup.com/ - shows what the schedule could look like if the network doesn't renew its contract with the union that represents nearly 3,000 of NBC's workers, including technicians and news writers, right before their crucial upfronts presentations.

National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET-CWA) Local 11 president Ed McEwan said members across the country are angry about stalled negotiations for a new contract and the union has created the website to make sure advertisers know what they're dealing with.

"The upfronts are about promoting NBC's new seasons. By jeopardizing the careers of thousands of talented men and women across the country with damaging company proposals, there might not be a new season that NBC can be proud of," said McEwan. "Senior NBC executives need to recognize this and tell their negotiators to come back with a fair deal for everyone."

NABET-CWA's prior contract expired fourteen months ago on March 31, 2009, and despite nearly twenty months of negotiations, there has not been enough progress to ink a new deal. In particular, the NABET-CWA negotiating team believes management has continued to ignore the concerns of the union's membership.

Hoping that further contract negotiation sessions can produce a mutually acceptable and fair deal, the broadcast technicians are using online advertising and text messaging to promote their efforts. Updates on NABET-CWA's campaign are available by texting "Fall" to 228466 or by registering their cell phone numbers at the new website.

The NABET-CWA's principal goal is to protect job security from the network's attempts to dismantle how technical and news writing work is assigned, so that NBC's employees who primarily perform those tasks are allowed to remain in the union.

NBC's bargaining team has disregarded the union's attempt to move their relationship firmly into the 21st century, while continuing to press a disastrous seniority scheme that would allow management to protect a favored group of less-experienced employees from layoffs.

NBC has ordered several series for the upcoming season -- a sitcom about a call center in India, called "Outsourced," romantic programs "Love Bites" and "Perfect Couples" and three dramas, "Chase," "The Event" and "Undercovers," produced by J.J. Abrams of "Lost" fame.

RESOURCES:

--NABET-CWA action website - http://nbcfalllineup.com/

--NABET-CWA text message updates - Text "Fall" to 228466

CONTACT: Ed McEwan
212-757-3065
emcewan@nabetlocal11.org

Source: NABET-CWA

CONTACT: Ed McEwan of NABET-CWA, +1-212-757-3065,
emcewan@nabetlocal11.org

Web Site: http://nbcfalllineup.com/

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