Union Breaks Off Contract Talks with ABC

[disneytim]

MarketWatch is reporting that the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians union (NABET-CWA) has broken off contract talks with Disney-owned ABC Television. At the core of the dispute is the union's claim that ABC intends to freeze workers' pensions. The current contract will expire on March 31st.

In a statement issued yesterday by NABET-CWA, the union charges that ABC's contract proposals amount to "attacks on the seniority system, attacks on the pension, despite the Plan being financially healthy, attacks on jurisdiction, attacks on the paid meal period, and attacks on a multitude of other work rules and conditions."

A spokesperson for ABC was not immediately available for comment.

NABET-CWA represents approximately 2,500 employees at ABC, including technicians and camera operators.

[disneytim]

In a statement issued via e-mail, ABC said:

ABC did not expect NABET to like all the company proposals, just as there are many Nabet proposals that ABC doesn't like, but we did expect them to negotiate, not just walk away. That is what collective bargaining negotiations is all about. We are shocked and saddened by this precipitous action.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/stor...=mktw&dist=nbs

[Dustysage]

Sounds like a union ploy to me (and I'm not against unions). But just getting up and walking out doesn't make for healthy communication.