News

NABET-CWA/ABC-DISNEY NEGOTIATIONS - BULLETIN #9

NABET-CWA/ABC-DISNEY NEGOTIATIONS

NEW YORK CITY

BULLETIN #9 - March 9, 2017

A tentative agreement has been reached with ABC-Disney on a new four-year contract to replace the Master Agreement which expires on March 31, 2017. This tentative agreement is the result of more than five months of bargaining, and represents the first time in decades a tentative agreement has been reached before the expiration of the current contract.

The new contract, when ratified, will cover more than 2700 staff and daily hire employees working as broadcast technicians, telecommunications specialists, newswriters, producers, desk assistants, publicists, and plant maintenance personnel at ABC Network news, sports and entertainment divisions as well as Owned Television Station operations in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington D.C. 

Complete details of the contract offer will be made available within the next few days. 

The parties negotiated across-the-board wage increases - totaling 9% over the next four years – as follows: 

  • 2.5% - upon ratification
  • 2.5% - second year
  • 2.0% - third year
  • 2.0% - fourth year

For the first time ever, Daily Hire employees will be eligible to receive short turn around pay. Other improvements for Daily Hires include: a paid sick leave provision, an increase in the travel day stipend, and enhancements to various health and retirement benefit plans.

Improvements for full-time staff employees include: a significant increase in the accrual rate (the retroactive “pop-up”) for current participants in the ABC-NABET pension plan, Disney Main Entrance Passes, and within 3 months following ratification, the Company will make an offer or a solicitation of interest for Sideletter EZ buyouts for staff employees in the A, B, F, K, and O Units.

The tentative agreement also anticipates future job opportunities in ‘New Media’ for all covered employees.

NABET-CWA Locals 16 (New York), 31 (Washington, D.C.), 41 (Chicago), and 51 (San Francisco and Los Angeles) will be conducting membership meetings and providing further information on this contract offer in the coming weeks. Ratification ballots are being prepared and will be mailed in the near future, with the deadline to return ballots set for April 13, 2017.

Full copies of the tentative agreement will be posted on Local and Sector websites.

In Solidarity,

NABET-CWA Network Negotiating Committee