BULLETIN 16
April 11, 2007
The NABET-CWA Network Negotiating Committee met via conference call on Tuesday, April 10th, 2007. A number of important items concerning the current ABC negotiations were discussed, and the Committee is reporting the following significant developments.
First of all, Sector President and Union Chief Spokesperson John S. Clark confirmed that negotiations with ABC are now scheduled to resume from May 21st through June 1st in Chicago, IL. These sessions will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Chicago.
Secondly, Union Bargaining Committee members Gene Maxwell (Local 16, New York), Moe Thomas (Local 31, Washington, D.C.), Ray Taylor (Local 41, Chicago), Kevin Wilson (Local 51, San Francisco), and Richard Daszkowski (Local 57, Hollywood) reported on the membership meetings held in their respective cities. When the first round of negotiations were recessed by NABET-CWA on March 22nd, the Bargaining Committee stated to ABC management representatives that the Union needed to engage in comprehensive communication with our membership to detail the current status of negotiations and to educate the membership on the destructive nature of ABC's current proposals. From March 30th through April 7th, membership meetings took place at all of the Locals involved in these negotiations. Each Union Bargaining Committee member reported that their respective meetings were well attended, and that the overwhelming majority of members in attendance supported the Committee's decision to recess contract talks. Fact sheets outlining the scope of ABC's proposals were distributed at each meeting, and generated additional positive feedback for the Committee's actions.
As a result of this supportive feedback at those meetings, the Network Negotiating Committee unanimously voted during the conference call to seek strike authorization from the membership. Strike authorization, if approved by a majority of members voting by secret ballot nationwide, grants the Network Negotiating Committee the authority to call a strike if and when the Committee deems a strike is necessary. Strike Authorization ballots will be mailed to the ABC membership starting April 23rd. Ballots will be counted on May 14th. Further information concerning the strike authorization voting will accompany the ballot materials.
Finally, a number of future mobilization and political action activities regarding the ABC negotiations were discussed on the conference call by the Union Bargaining Committee. Local Mobilization Coordinators in each city will be conducting these activities in the immediate future.
The Union Bargaining Committee reminds all members to ignore rumors. All official negotiation and mobilization information will be delivered on the Sector website at www.abc-contract.info. Please also check Local websites, hotlines, and e-mail for additional information.
NABET-CWA Network Negotiating Committee
For an archive of all bulletins, go to www.abc-contract.info/barg_mobe/.
