NABET-CWA unveils site against NBC Upfront on stalled negotiations

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.rbr.com/tv-cable/24226.html

Advertisers preparing to see the big television network’s fall schedules for the first-time this week got a preview of what NBC’s fall lineup could be – courtesy of National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET-CWA).

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. It shows a bunch of YouTube videos and other propaganda against the network.

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 20 months of negotiations, there has not been enough progress to ink a new deal, says the union. In particular, the NABET-CWA negotiating team says in a release that it 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.

NABET-CWA says its 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.
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