Union Asks NLRB To Order ABC Back To Bargaining Table

The WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA-EAST's Negotations Committee is telling members and the NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD that ABC NEWS' insistence on the union's acceptance of its "final offer" is unlawful and a "punishment for our not agreeing to a deal in the time ABC allocated for bargaining before the contract expired."   The union, which objects to ABC's attempts to remove some positions- producers- from union representation and failure to respond to the union's counteroffer, is asking the NLRB to order ABC back to the bargaining table, rescind all "illegal terms" like the removal of producers from the union, and "make the unit economically whole for any losses sustained from ABC's unlawful conduct." Negotiations began JANUARY 5, 2005 for the WGA/ABC National Agreement covering newswriters, editors, desk assistants/production assistants, graphic artists and researchers.

"Threats of impasse," the committee says, "clearly illustrates how little the Company respects our hard work and how little they respect their 50-year relationship with WGAE members at ABC." ABC, for its part, says that its offer of a 9.5% raise over three years plus a change in work hours is a response to competitive pressures including the loss of many ABC NEWS RADIO affiliates through CLEAR CHANNEL's deal with FOX NEWS RADIO,

Read the union's letter to members by clicking here.

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