NABET-CWA/NBC Negotiations: Bulletin # 10

 B U L L E T I N
 NABET-CWA/NBCU NEGOTIATIONS  
  NEW YORK CITY

BULLETIN #10
November 9, 2023

The NABET-CWA Network Negotiating Committee has reached an overall tentative agreement with NBC Universal on a new contract to replace the Master Agreement which was set to expire on March 31, 2022.  The Union and the Company mutually agreed to extend the terms of the 2018-2022 Master Agreement through the negotiation process, without interruption, and also negotiated a 2% general wage increase which took effect on April 1, 2022.  This new contract package is the result of numerous bargaining sessions which took place over the past eleven months in New York and Washington DC.  If ratified, the new contract will run through March 31, 2027.

The new contract, if ratified, will cover all NABET-CWA members at NBCU, including nearly 3000 staff and daily hire employees working as broadcast engineers in the studios, and in the field for NBC News, NBC Sports, and NBC Entertainment.  Also covered under the Master Agreement are staging services personnel in Washington DC, newswriters, plant maintenance personnel, as well as couriers at various Company Network and TV station operations in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C.  

Complete details of the tentative agreement will be made available within the next few days.  This package contains several enhanced economic and benefit improvements for NABET-CWA represented employees. The general wage offer totals 12% in wage increases over the remaining life of the new contract (3% in each year of the new Master Agreement).  The first 3% wage increase will be effective the first full payroll period following ratification, with a second 3% increase taking effect on April 1, 2024.  Notable gains for daily hire employees include an increase in the daily benefit payment, as well as eligibility for short turnaround payments for all daily hire employees in all units covered by the Master Agreement.  The package further provides for a substantial increase in ‘travel-only’ pay for daily hires.  In addition, staff and eligible daily hire employees will receive ratification bonus payments in amounts ranging from $1000 - $2000 dollars.

NABET-CWA Locals will be conducting ratification voting over the next few weeks, and the votes will be tabulated in mid-December. The Locals will also be conducting membership meetings and providing further information on this contract package during the ratification process.  We thank you for your solidarity and support during this negotiation process.

In Solidarity,

The NBC NABET-CWA Network Negotiating Committee:
Local 11: President Lou Marinaro and Executive Board Member Rob Weiss
Local 31: Jim Long, Network News EJ and President Bantu Opiotennione
Local 41: Local 41 Member Ed Dabrowski and Executive Board Member Doug Webber
Local 53: President Emeritus Steve Ross, Executive Board Member Tim Stepich, and Warren Stern
NABET-CWA Sector: President Charlie Braico, Local 11 General Counsel and Advisor to the Bargaining Committee Max Sicherman, Assistant to the Sector President Jodi Fabrizio-Clontz, and, Nikisha Johnson.