In The News - NABET Leaflets McGraw-Hill Shareholder Meeting

NABET-CWA members in New York leafleted outside the McGraw-Hill shareholders' meeting in late April in support of a San Diego local that's long battled for a fair contract at a TV station owned by the publishing company.

Engineers, technicians, directors, photographers, editors and artists, members of NABET-CWA Local 59054, have been trying to negotiate with KGTV Channel 10 in San Diego since January 2006. After more than five decades of good relations between the union and management, union leaders say the company has turned its back on its workers.

"Channel 10 and NABET-CWA go back a long way," the union says on its campaign website, www.10News Unfair.com. "They've been together since KGTV first went on-air in 1953. Together they built a successful local television station... Now, for the first time in 55 years, McGraw-Hill-owned KGTV refuses to negotiate a fair contract with its employees. Instead, KGTV went on the attack, hiring a union-busting law firm and turning on its own employees."

McGraw-Hill shareholders met at New York's Rockefeller Center. "The handbills were well received," NABET-CWA Vice President Jim Joyce said. "One person going into the shareholder meeting identified herself as a member of the McGraw family as she took and read the handbill with seemingly great interest. Even the corporate security personnel seemed very interested in the contents of the flyer as NABET members covered every entrance to the building."

The National Labor Relations Board has upheld charges brought by the union that KGTV unlawfully threatened and intimidated workers, interfered with lawful union activities, illegally observed union activities by shooting still photos, and installed cameras to watch workers without negotiating first with the union. Channel 10 settled the charges rather than go to trial, but management's refusal to negotiate continues.

The San Diego local has been successful at getting car dealers and other businesses to pull ads from Channel 10 and is asking area residents to boycott businesses that continue to advertise.