NABET-CWA Members at NBC Vote Strike Authorization

After eight months at the bargaining table, NABET-CWA members at NBC Universal have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if a fair contract can't be reached.

Key sticking points are job security, wages and NBC's attempt to inject language that would allow anyone — management and other non-union workers or people who aren't NBC employees at all — to operate digital video cameras, NABET-CWA President John Clark said.

During relatively smooth negotiations in 1998 and 2002, both the union and network agreed to limit the number of bargaining issues on the table and reached early agreements. Clark said issues are limited this year, too, but the contract expired March 31 and bargaining has gone on since November.

"This time they took us for granted," he said. "They thought we were anxious to get another early deal and they could foist whatever they wanted on us."

No new talks are scheduled and the last bargaining session was early May. The union is keeping the lines of communication open and is hopeful the network will respond, Clark said.

With the company refusing to budge, the 2,500 technicians, camera operators and employees represented in New York, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles are mobilizing. Recently, a sea of green balloons with the NABET-CWA logo became the backdrop for the "Today" show. And Clark said members are reaching out to advertisers, especially in local markets, to persuade them to stop doing business with the network until there's a fair contract.