Contacts:
Peter Hutchins
William Murray
WRGB-TV Chief Steward
Staff Representative
(518) 248-3198
(202) 316-8243
For Immediate Release: January 23, 2006
WRGB-TV / CBS 6 follows through on threat to deny annual bonus to NABET-CWA employees
Niskayuna, NY -In response to a unanimous vote by union employees in December rejecting
a company contract proposal that called for wage reductions and turning full time jobs into part time jobs, WRGB-TV
has cut them from its "Success Sharing" program.
WRGB-TV, owned by Freedom Communications of Irvine, CA has awarded the bonus to non-NABET employees.
According to the station's associate handbook; "In any year that WRGB exceeds its operating goals as set by Freedom, all
eligible WRGB Associates will receive a year-end bonus." Until this year NABET-CWA employees were eligible for
the bonus.
"It is ironic that in a year the station has exceeded it revenue goals, the company is asking for pay
cuts of up to 15% and full time job cuts," said union negotiator Mark Zwinak. "The bonus confirms what we have said all along,
WRGB-TV is a very profitable station. Union employees are a big factor in their success."
NABET-CWA represents photographers, engineers and technicians at the station. They have been working without
a contract since an extension expired in September. Talks between the company and union are set to resume Tuesday, January
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