NABET-CWA Reaches Tentative Agreement With NBC Universal!!

NABET-CWA/NBCU NEGOTIATIONS
Washington, DC
BULLETIN #31
January 12, 2012

The NABET-CWA Network Negotiating Committee has reached a tentative agreement with NBC Universal on a new contract to replace the Master Agreement which expired on March 31, 2009. This contract offer is the result of numerous bargaining sessions which took place over the past five weeks in New York, and has the unanimous recommendation of the Union’s Bargaining Committee. The new contract, when ratified, will cover approximately 2500 staff and daily hire employees working as broadcast technicians, news writers, building, air conditioning and plant maintenance personnel, staging services personnel, and couriers at various Company Network and TV station operations in New York, Chicago, Burbank and Washington D.C., including NBC News and NBC Sports. The new contract will run through March 31, 2015.

 

While complete details of the contract offer will be made available within the next few days, this package contains a number of improvements from NBCU’s July 25, 2011, offer in the areas of economics and job security. The wage offer contains a total of 8% in wage increases over the next three years (2.75%, 2.75%, and 2.5%) beginning on April 1, 2012, in addition to a signing bonus effective upon ratification. In the area of job security, the new contract provides numerous layoff protections for staff employees, and calls for the conversion of a number of daily hire positions into full-time staff positions at each office of the Company. The contract offer also extends the jurisdiction of the Master Agreement to the secondary digital channel operations of WNBC-TV, WRC-TV, WMAQ-TV, and KNBC-TV.

NABET-CWA Locals 11 (New York), 31 (Washington, D.C.), 41 (Chicago) and 53 (Los Angeles) will be conducting ratification voting over the next few weeks, and the votes will be tallied by February 10, 2012. The Locals will also be conducting membership meetings and providing further information on this contract offer during the ratification process.

In the meantime, we remind you to ignore all rumors.

In Solidarity,

NABET-CWA Network Negotiating Committee:

Ed McEwan - President Emeritus, Local 11
Rich McDermott - Vice President, Local 31
Charles G. Braico - President, Local 41
Steve Ross - President, Local 53
James C. Joyce - President, NABET-CWA

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Ossining Inaugurates Town, Village Officials, Including Bob Daraio, New Village Trustee

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Examiner Media

The village and Town of Ossining kicked off the New Year by inaugurating village and town elected officials.

Bob Daraio and Manuel Quezada joined the Ossining Village Board while Eric Blaha joined the Ossining Town Board. Geoffrey Harter kicked off his sixth term on the town board.

Sue Donnelly took over as Ossining’s new town supervisor in place of Catherine Borgia. She was inaugurated as Westchester County Legislator of District 9, which represents Ossining, Croton, and parts of Cortlandt and Peekskill.

Daraio said he was very excited begin his service on the village board. In preparation for his term, Daraio sat in on budget meetings throughout November, learning how the village operates.

“I watched every department head justify ever nickel being spent,” Daraio said. “I was so impressed with how much they really care. It gives me great hope for the future.”

Quezada said he plans on giving 150 percent to the village board. Quezada, an Ecuadorian, said he looks forward to representing Ossining’s burgeoning Ecuadorian community.

“It means a lot to me,” Quezada said. “I look forward to working with the village board and improving what we have done.”

Blaha said joining the town board was a great way to begin his 2012 and said he is looking forward to serve.

“I am excited to get started,” Blaha said. “I hope to see more of the people in this room.”

For Harter, inaugurations have become old hat for him, though he said his sixth inauguration was just as exciting as his first.

“I enjoy it,” Harter said. “This is the fun part of town government. On Tuesday we get back to work.”

Borgia said she was grateful to everyone that helped her in her campaign, and is happy to leave the town in good shape.

“I was sad to leave a job I love, but I am excited for this new challenge,” Borgia said. “I am feeling optimistic.”

By Sam Barron