Democratic Candidates Support KMEX Strikers on Election Night

Los Angeles -- Members of the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-CWA, who are on strike at KMEX, the Univision-owned television station in Los Angeles, got a big boost on Election Night, as Democratic party candidates honored their strike by refusing to grant interviews to scab reporters and KMEX management. The station was scrambling to cover the Election Night events at the Biltmore Hotel, but was stymied by the show of solidarity, the NABET-CWA local said.

Among the many candidates who refused interviews with KMEX-TV and offered support for the workers were California legislators Hilda Solis, Antonio Villaraigosa, Gil Cedillo and Tony Cardenas; U.S. Representatives Loretta Sanchez and Xavier Becerra; and Alex Padilla of the Los Angeles City Council, the local said.

NABET-CWA President John Clark joined union members in thanking all the candidates "who stood with working families in the fight for fairness at KMEX."

Some 120 workers at KMEX-TV have been on strike since October 23, over the company's continuing refusal to bargain with the union over workers' job security concerns. This week, NABET-CWA filed eight unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, charging KMEX-TV with bargaining in bad faith, intimidating workers, illegally declaring impasse in negotiations and other violations.

The Los Angeles County AFL-CIO, headed by Miguel Contreras, also has been supporting the workers' struggle for a fair contract.

KMEX-TV management issued an ultimatum to union members last week, advising them that it would not change its demands that threaten workers' job security. This threat was made despite efforts by the NABET-CWA local, with the assistance of a federal mediator, to resolve the job issues that led to the strike. The company's so-called final offer was overwhelmingly rejected by the membership at a special meeting. The station then launched a campaign of intimidation, threatening to discipline workers for their continuing and lawful strike activities and also threatening to make its contract offer worse for each week the strike continues.

The KMEX workers also have the support of many area organizations, including other broadcast workers in the Los Angeles area who are represented by the Electrical Workers, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and others. AFTRA made a significant donation of food for the striking workers, and broadcast workers at Channel 11 took up a monetary collection for their colleagues.

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