CWA Calls on Candidates, Party Organizations to Reject ABC Interview Requests

Following is the text of a letter from CWA President Morton Bahr which asks candidates and political organizations to refrain from interviews with ABC news operations because of the network's illegal lockout of NABET/CWA members.

URGENT REQUEST
November 3, 1998

To: Political Candidates and Party Organizations

We are asking all political candidates and party organizations to refrain from granting election interviews with ABC television and radio reporters, both nationally and locally, because of the network's illegal lockout of members of the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians, NABET/CWA.

ABC retaliated against NABET/CWA employees, who yesterday conducted a lawful 24- hour strike over an Unfair Labor Practice issue, by refusing to allow the employees to return to work this morning. The network so far has spurned a proposal from NABET/CWA for a 30-day no strike/no lockout period.

ABC's retaliation against these employees for exercising their rights is itself a violation of federal labor laws, and refusal to accept the union's proposal is simply unreasonable.

Any interview with an ABC affiliate is likely to be fed to the network, therefore we urge that you decline to deal with ABC affiliate stations anywhere in the country, regardless of whether there are picket lines in front of the stations. Any crews in the network cities of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. are themselves non-union "scab" crews.

I submit that your support does not constitute "taking sides" in a dispute, but it is rather a stand in favor of fair application of our labor laws and the rights of American working people.

On behalf of the 12,000 NABET/CWA members and 630,000 members of CWA overall, we thank you in advance.


Sincerely,
Morton Bahr
President, CWA