NABET-CWA Applauds Labor Board Ruling against CNN for Tearing up Union Contracts in New York, Washin

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=126858

NABET-CWA Applauds Labor Board Ruling against CNN for Tearing up Union Contracts in New York, Washington

By PR Newswire

WASHINGTON, April 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Labor Relations Board has issued a complaint against CNN, upholding unfair labor practice charges by the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-CWA contending that the cable network illegally tore up union contracts for field camera crews and other technical workers serving its New York and Washington bureaus in late 2003.

At that time, CNN took over news gathering operations that had been contracted for many years to Team Video Services (TVS), whose employees were represented by NABET-CWA. CNN hired many of the former TVS workers, but to get rid of the union, "CNN expanded and packed the D.C. and N.Y. units in order to avoid a successorship obligation to recognize and bargain" with NABET-CWA, the board's ruling stated.

CNN dismissed many of the former TVS workers and for those who it rehired it slashed wages, benefits and other job conditions and protections, refusing to recognize their bargaining rights.

In a ruling dated April 4 and received by the parties this week, the NLRB general counsel ordered a hearing in September 2007 before an administrative law judge over the charges. Among remedies the board is seeking are: reinstatement and back pay for those who were discharged in the shift from TVS to CNN, restoration of the contractual terms in the original labor contract with TVS and "make-whole-relief" for the workers, and the restoration of their union representation and bargaining rights.

Approximately 350 union-eligible employees work for the two bureaus.

"Although this ruling has been a long time coming, we're gratified and confident that the board's decision will finally put us on a path to justice for these CNN workers," said NABET-CWA President John Clark.

FULL story at link. This came in after I went to bed last night or I would have posted it in LBN.