Labor & Employment Law

Buffalo Community Rallies with WIVB-TV Staff for Fair Contract

By admin

Amy Masciola, AFTRA Strategic Campaigns coordinator, sends us this report.

Some 50 supporters of anchors and reporters who work for WIVB-TV Channel 4 in Buffalo, N.Y., turned out today for a lively rally in front of the station. The anchors and reporters?-represented by the American Federation of Radio and Television Artists (AFTRA)–return to the bargaining table with WIVB owners LIN Media next week for the first time in 10 months.

As Mylous Hairston, News 4 anchor and president of AFTRA?s Buffalo Local, told the crowd:

AFTRA members of WIVB work hard every day and night to provide this community with the news they need to stay informed and engaged, locally and globally. The changes management is proposing, and those it has already imposed, erode our working conditions and journalistic standards.

Among the major unresolved issues is management?s proposal to have the unrestricted right to assign camera and editing duties to reporters. Currently, management must consult with reporters about the appropriate resources to devote to a given story. Professor Annemarie Franczyk of Buffalo State College said:

The result could be that reporters will have less time to do what they?ve been trained to do: research stories, check facts, and produce the news that our community needs.

In addition, there are safety concerns for reporters going to locations alone to shoot, report, and edit stories. Reporters need to have a say in how stories get reported and produced. Management should respect their experience.

The last collective bargaining agreement between WIVB-TV management and the anchors and reporters expired in September 2008. After more than a year of bargaining, management claimed in December 2009 that negotiations with the union had reached impasse and imposed the terms of their last offer, which were never ratified by union members.

By imposing the terms of its last offer, management unilaterally increased the cost of health insurance premiums for employees while lowering the company?s contribution, canceled the company?s contribution to the 401(k) retirement plan and vowed not to restore the contribution for AFTRA members if and when it does so for other employees, and ceased providing a wage differential for night work, among other measures.

Said Mario Cilento of the New York State AFL-CIO:

We are determined to shine a light on employers in this state that use anti-worker tactics, especially when they threaten quality journalism in our community. New York?s labor movement stands behind AFTRA members at WIVB-TV, who are fighting for quality journalism in this community and for a fair contract.

Western New York government leaders also took part in the rally, including Rep. Brian Higgins, who issued the following statement:

I strongly support your message to WIVB-TV and LIN Media: maintain the highest journalistic standards for our community?s sake, and ensure the workers behind this award-winning station have a voice on the job, affordable health insurance, and a secure retirement plan.

Sam Hoyt, member of the New York State Assembly, also spoke to the crowd, saying ?The citizens of Buffalo need quality journalism in order to stay informed and to participate in our democracy. Quality journalism is at the very heart of our democracy.?

After the rally, a delegation led by members of the Buffalo Coalition for Economic Justice delivered a letter to station president Chris Musial. At the same time, members of Rhode Island Jobs with Justice visited LIN Media?s corporate headquarters in Providence to meet with CEO Vincent Sadusky. They were refused an appointment, but their message was clear:

We stand in solidarity with the workers at WIVB Channel 4, and will continue to monitor this situation and inform our Rhode Island members about the actions of this local media company.

We were joined by members of several community organizations and local unions, including the Coalition for Economic Justice, Network of Religious Communities, New York State AFL-CIO, Western New York Area Labor Federation, Buffalo Teachers Federation, Communications Workers of America (CWA) Locals 1122 and 1133, Civil Service Employees Association Local 403, International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 264, National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-CWA, SEIU Local 1199, and the Western New York Council on Occupational Safety and Health.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on September 23, 2010 (boomark / email).