BULLETIN 39
October 18, 2007
After working late into the night yesterday, the Union bargaining committee resumed meeting in caucus this morning at 9:00 A.M. The Union pension subcommittee resumed their discussions with ABC representatives at 10:00 A.M., while the remaining members of the Union's bargaining committee continued meeting in caucus throughout the morning.
Later in the morning NABET-CWA Sector President and Chief Spokesperson John S. Clark, along with Sector Vice-President Jim Joyce, met with Company Chief Spokesperson Jeffrey Ruthizer and Vice President Sean Quinn to review the remaining issues that are still open between the parties.
The full committees then met in joint session at 3:00 P.M. During this afternoon session, and in an attempt to narrow the issues between the parties, the Union accepted several Company proposals and withdrew some Union proposals. The Company presented the Union with three proposals – one new proposal and two modifications. The new proposal would set aside an arbitrator's remedy in a recent New York arbitration award wherein the arbitrator found that the Company transferred a Shop Steward in violation of the Master Agreement. The modified Company proposals involved (1) Sideletter 7, which would transfer work currently performed by NABET-CWA-represented employees to non-union employees of ESPN in Bristol, CT.; and (2) Sideletter DN, which would allow the Company to expand its use of digital cameras by other than NABET-CWA-represented "A" contract engineers.
At the start of the afternoon session, Jeff Ruthizer acknowledged the progress made by the Union and Company pension sub-committee in reaching an agreement in principle on proposed modifications to Sideletter GQ (Pension). However, in what the Union believes to be a blatant act of corporate terrorism, the Company is holding hostage this mutually acceptable agreement on the future of the healthy and over-funded ABC-NABET Retirement Trust by telling the Union that there will never be a contract unless the Union accepts, in totality, the Company's current proposals involving separate seniority.
In evaluating the current status of negotiations, the Union Bargaining Committee has determined that on the whole, the Company's position during this latest round of talks has made it even more difficult for the parties to reach a negotiated agreement that would be satisfactory to the NABET-CWA membership. It is clear that due to the Company's failure to engage in serious negotiations, this round of bargaining was not particularly productive, and that further discussions between the parties will need to be scheduled at some future mutually acceptable time and location. The parties have adjourned the current round of bargaining this evening since it had been previously agreed that a Friday session would take place only if both parties believed it would be productive to continue meeting.
NABET-CWA Network Negotiating Committee
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.
For an archive of all bulletins, go to www.abc-contract.info/barg_mobe/.
