After two years without a contract, the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-Communications Workers of America (NABET-CWA) has reached a tentative agreement with the American Broadcasting System (ABC) on a four-year contract. The last contract between NABET-CWA and ABC expired on March 31, 2011. James C. Joyce, president of NABET-CWA and head of the bargaining committee, unanimously recommended to union members that they ratify the contract.
Joyce said:
After two years of protracted negotiations, this latest round of mediation has produced a breakthrough, and this offer is now worthy of our members’ consideration. The persistence of our members and our bargaining committee to achieve a fair contract was instrumental in this outcome.
Approximately 2,500 ABC employees would be covered by the new contract, which NABET-CWA says includes significant improvements over ABC’s “final” offer in 2012. Among these are a 9% wage increase and an additional year on the length of the contract.
Ballots will be mailed to eligible union members on April 15, 2013, and must be returned by May 9, 2013, in order to be counted. Locals participating in the vote include: 16 (New York), 31 (Washington, D.C.), 41 (Chicago), 51 (San Francisco) and 57 (Los Angeles).
The full agreement is available online and further updates can be found at NABET-CWA’s website.
This article was originally posted on the AFL-CIO on March 28, 2013. Reprinted with Permission.
About the Author: Kenneth Quinnell is a long-time blogger, campaign staffer and political activist whose writings have appeared on AFL-CIO, Daily Kos, Alternet, the Guardian Online, Media Matters for America, Think Progress, Campaign for America’s Future and elsewhere.