NABET-CWA Charges Bad-Faith Bargaining by ABC

NABET-CWA leaders are taking a tough stance with ABC in the wake of what sector President John Clark says is a "premature" final offer that "we do not regard as beneficial to our membership."

The union, which has been in talks with the Disney-owned network for eight months, recently filed several unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB alleging bad-faith bargaining.

NABET's contract at ABC expired March 31. In May, members voted overwhelmingly to strike if the company refuses to offer a fair contract to the 2,500 technicians, camera operators, news writers and other employees the union represents at ABC nationwide

Talks between NABET and ABC broke off in Chicago on Oct. 18 and no new sessions are scheduled. Seniority and job security issues remain major sticking points. While movement has been made to protect members' pension plan – which the company early in negotiations threatened to freeze – ABC wants the union to make unacceptable concessions in return.

"Conditioning the (pension) resolution, on which both parties worked so hard last week, on our acceptance of your dangerous and excessive seniority proposal is tantamount to kidnapping for ransom," Clark said in a letter to Jeffrey Ruthizer, senior vice president for labor relations at ABC. "Such hostage-taking would be despicable in any circumstances, but it is especially repugnant when it is perpetrated by a self-espoused family-friendly employer like the Walt Disney Company."

The company's full contract offer, Clark's letter and details from each bargaining session are available online at www.abc-contract.info.