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NABET-CWA Members Stand Firm as Contract Fight Heads to Mediation

 PBS NABET-CWA BULLETIN #2

June 22, 2010

On Tuesday at 5:45pm, PBS’s spokesman Stanley Brown walked out of negotiations with NABET-CWA for a successor contract to replace the one that is set to expire on June 30^th, 2010.

During negotiations that began on June 2^nd, and have been held at the PBS facilities in both Crystal City and Springfield, VA, the parties had been discussing Company proposals to cut the vacations (limited to 2 weeks at a time, and not allowing vacation to carry over for new employees); eliminate in-unit Supervisors; change the established shift selection process; eliminate differential payment for maintenance engineer; combination of Satellite and Technical Operations workgroups; establish new paradigm of editors. 

Wages, in-hire rates which have been stagnant since 2003, have not yet been resolved.  The Union proposed to increase those rates in accordance with the cost-of-living in the intervening years.  PBS compared the wages of the highly network trained technicians with those of people working at cable companies around the country, saying that since employees had not experienced a high turn-over, they must not need a wage increase.

Comparing synthesized “Market Data Technicians” at $72,800 to the Median Salaries of current employees at $79, 326 PBS proposed no raise for Technicians.  These rates are between $14,000 and $17,000 LESS per year than comparable network rates.

Apparently, PBS’ outside counsel (one of 3-4 lawyers on their team) was offended at members attending the bargaining sessions and observing the negotiations, and wearing their CWA solidarity Red color in mobilization for a fair contract.   He announced that he was leaving the bargaining table, would not agree to return without a Federal Mediator being present, and took the position that it was illegal for the Union to have any say in adding a mediator to the bargaining.

The talks are not scheduled to resume at this time, the members of the Union Bargaining Committee will return to their regular jobs for PBS on Wednesday June 23^rd.  Members are reminded to wear their Solidarity Red, enjoy their vacations (of whatever scheduled length, even those longer than 2 weeks); and to continue to ask questions of the management, even the hard ones.

Sincerely your NABET-CWA Bargaining Committee:

Charles Coates, Kenny Distance, Arnie Panek, NABET-CWA Local 31 Local President Carl Mayers and NABET-CWA staff representative Carrie Biggs-Adams

NABET-PBS 2011 Contract Proposal Submission Form

INSTRUCTIONS: Please fill in all contact info. We may need to ask you questions or seek clarifications for your goal to be useful. Define the goal clearly, to be as specific as possible. Do not be concerned about writing contract language. You may submit exact language you believe would work if you wish, but it is not necessary. We want, and need, to know what you want in the next contract. Successful bargaining always starts with clear goals. This is your opportunity to help us set ours. Please be neat. Please submit only one goal per form!

Name:
Non-employer E-mail:
Home Telephone:
Cell number/Carrier:
Work Telephone:
Contract Goal:  

As an alternative, you may download this form, fill it out and e-mail the completed form to carlm@nabet31.org

PBS SOC Techs on duty

 "PBS has talented, union-represented technical employees with diverse backgrounds and interests who are committed to a common goal and work hard to achieve it. NABET-CWA represented technicians work in a variety of disciplines including communications, engineering, and information technology. They will continue to be an integral part of the PBS family, now and in the future as PBS continues to serve the American public."

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Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Common Cause founder John Gardner in 1967 assisted in the birth of public broadcasting.  He viewed public broadcasting as an entity to "enable us not only to see and hear more vividly, but to understand more deeply."  In order to fund public broadcasting, Gardner along with other members of the Carnegie Commission advocated the formation of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) as a conduit for public resources.  The CPB was structured as a nonprofit body separate from government in order to better insulate public broadcasting from government intrusion into program content.

Public broadcasting has not entirely fulfilled the vision of its founders.  But its scores of awards for quality programming and hard-hitting investigative journalism and the loyalty of its viewers attest to the fact that public broadcasting is an essential part of our democracy.  Indeed, when polled last year by a non-partisan research firm, Americans ranked the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) the "most trusted institution" among national institutions.

Common Cause is committed to preserving the vitality and independence of public broadcasting and is waging an ambitious campaign.  We are advocating for continued funding of the CPB, for the appointment of independent CPB members who do not bring a biased agenda to the board and for the continuation of hard-hitting unbiased investigative news and other programming on public television.  Please join with us by adding your name to the tens of thousands of members who have signed our petition to protect public broadcasting in America.

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Current PBS Technicians Collective Bargaining Agreement (7/1/07) (.pdf format)

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 PBS Bargaining Bulletin #1 (.doc)

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 PBS Current Grievance Status Report