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Early Contract Talks at NBC End Without Agreement; NABET-CWA 'Disappointed' in ABC Talks
NABET-CWA negotiators on Oct. 22 declared an end to an unprecedented, "limited issue" effort to reach an early contract agreement with NBC even as frustration was continuing to mount over the union's contract talks at ABC.
John Clark, president of the NABET- CWA sector, said in the Oct. 22 announcement that the union and NBC management called off negotiations when the parties failed to agree on a package which the union could recommend to its membership for ratification.
The end came, Clark said, when the company committee dismissed a comprehensive union offer "without consideration." He said the union negotiating committee expressed "extreme disappointment and frustration" that the talks failed to produce an agreement.
The first-ever talks had started Sept. 15 with cautious optimism that the parties might be able to reach an early agreement at NBC, where the NABET-CWA contract doesn't expire until next March 31, by using a streamlined approach to the contract talks.
After the bargaining breakdown, Clark urged NABET-CWA members employed at NBC to make preparations "for full-scale bargaining and mobilization" at the peacock network.
Meanwhile, at Disney/ABC, where the union contract expired March 31, 1997, NABET-CWA recently emerged from five days of subcommittee meetings to say the results were "disappointing."
The subcommittee meetings had been set up in an effort to try a "different approach" to the resolution of approximately 120 outstanding issues, according to NABET-CWA Network Coordinator John Krieger.
Clark said he and other members of the subcommittee emerged from the meetings with ABC "extremely disappointed." Only four of the 120 issues were withdrawn and management offered modifications on 16 others, Clark said.
"Unfortunately, those moves still result in a less desirable contract than our members currently enjoy," according to Clark, Krieger and CWA Repre-sentative Carmine Turchi.
Meanwhile, management has steadfastly refused to move on five other major areas: jurisdiction over new technology, pension contributions, daily hires, benefits, and working conditions at KGO-TV, the ABC owned-and-operated station in San Francisco.
No further talks with ABC had been scheduled, as of late October, Clark said, although the parties agreed to keep open the lines of communication.
Far away from the bargaining table, ABC was having other problems - centering on a "tell-all" book on its corporate owner, the Disney Corp. According to Howard Kurtz, in the Oct. 14 edition of The Washington Post, ABC News President David Westin killed a story being developed for use on the network's "20/20" program because the segment was critical of Disney. The "20/20" story was to have been based on a book titled "Disney: The Mouse Betrayed," written by Peter and Rochelle Schweizer, which alleges hiring and safety problems at the corporation's Disney World theme park.
The Schweizer book alleges, among other things, that Disney World in Florida fails to perform security checks that would prevent the hiring of sex offenders, and has problems with peeping Toms. Among the chapter headings: "The Lyin' King" and "Mickey Mouse Justice."
John Clark, president of the NABET- CWA sector, said in the Oct. 22 announcement that the union and NBC management called off negotiations when the parties failed to agree on a package which the union could recommend to its membership for ratification.
The end came, Clark said, when the company committee dismissed a comprehensive union offer "without consideration." He said the union negotiating committee expressed "extreme disappointment and frustration" that the talks failed to produce an agreement.
The first-ever talks had started Sept. 15 with cautious optimism that the parties might be able to reach an early agreement at NBC, where the NABET-CWA contract doesn't expire until next March 31, by using a streamlined approach to the contract talks.
After the bargaining breakdown, Clark urged NABET-CWA members employed at NBC to make preparations "for full-scale bargaining and mobilization" at the peacock network.
Meanwhile, at Disney/ABC, where the union contract expired March 31, 1997, NABET-CWA recently emerged from five days of subcommittee meetings to say the results were "disappointing."
The subcommittee meetings had been set up in an effort to try a "different approach" to the resolution of approximately 120 outstanding issues, according to NABET-CWA Network Coordinator John Krieger.
Clark said he and other members of the subcommittee emerged from the meetings with ABC "extremely disappointed." Only four of the 120 issues were withdrawn and management offered modifications on 16 others, Clark said.
"Unfortunately, those moves still result in a less desirable contract than our members currently enjoy," according to Clark, Krieger and CWA Repre-sentative Carmine Turchi.
Meanwhile, management has steadfastly refused to move on five other major areas: jurisdiction over new technology, pension contributions, daily hires, benefits, and working conditions at KGO-TV, the ABC owned-and-operated station in San Francisco.
No further talks with ABC had been scheduled, as of late October, Clark said, although the parties agreed to keep open the lines of communication.
Far away from the bargaining table, ABC was having other problems - centering on a "tell-all" book on its corporate owner, the Disney Corp. According to Howard Kurtz, in the Oct. 14 edition of The Washington Post, ABC News President David Westin killed a story being developed for use on the network's "20/20" program because the segment was critical of Disney. The "20/20" story was to have been based on a book titled "Disney: The Mouse Betrayed," written by Peter and Rochelle Schweizer, which alleges hiring and safety problems at the corporation's Disney World theme park.
The Schweizer book alleges, among other things, that Disney World in Florida fails to perform security checks that would prevent the hiring of sex offenders, and has problems with peeping Toms. Among the chapter headings: "The Lyin' King" and "Mickey Mouse Justice."