Negotiations for a new contract at the Meredith-owned CBS affiliate began about 18 months ago. The union represents 50 employees, including photographers, editors, directors, on-air talent and maintenance engineers.
DMA 68 (FLINT-SAGINAW-BAY CITY, MI)
NABET-CWA Rejects WNEM Contract Offer
The National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians — Communications Workers of America Local 54048 has rejected the latest contract offer from Meredith-owned WNEM Saginaw, Mich. The union represents 50 employees at the station, including photographers, editors, directors, on-air talent and maintenance engineers.
Negotiations for a new contract began about 18 months ago.
“WNEM’s latest contract proposal would severely jeopardized [sic] workers’ job security, retirement security, work jurisdiction and reduced on-air employees to ‘at will’ employment status,” Zara Maldonado, president of NABET-CWA Local 54048 said in a statement. “Based on Meredith’s economic success recently, our members deserve much better.”
The current contract with employees is set to expire Nov. 3 after being extended since April 30. The union is preparing a corporate campaign aimed at making the community and WNEM advertisers aware of the labor dispute. The union is also calling on WNEM to come back to the table as soon as possible and “negotiate in good faith” for a new contract.
Comments (2)
Angela Foreshaw says:
October 22, 2013 at 2:56 pm
They’re looking to boot out the mainstays and replace them with younger, greener talent. Meredith wants single anchor newscasts, a cut in healthcare, and less vacation days.
Wagner Pereira says:
October 22, 2013 at 4:30 pm
Oh the HORROR of a single anchor newscast in Saginaw Michigan! Of course, there are Top 15 Markets with some single anchor newscasts – and plenty of Cable News Networks with single anchor newscast – but Saginaw Michigan cannot have that – oh the Horror! Thank God for what Unions have done for the growing and vibrant Michigan!