BROADCAST News THE NEWSLETTER FOR SAG-AFTRA BROADCASTERS
// VOL. 4
// ISSUE 1
President’s Task Force on
// SUMMER 2015
// N E W S I N B R I E F VICTORY FOR CHICAGO MEMBERS // An arbitrator has ruled at least 13 members of WKQX and WLUP in Chicago should be compensated for pre-recorded programs that air at later dates when staff is scheduled to be off (i.e., holidays and/or weekends). The ruling against station owner Cumulus Media Network found the union’s collective bargaining agreement required compensation as if staff were performing live. NYPR REACHES HISTORIC CONTRACT // Members at New York Public Radio reached a historic agreement with the station, achieving significant scale and above scale increases for the entire 100-plus person unit, while safeguarding work protections. The four-year contract is retroactive to July 2014 and runs through 2017. KNX, KTWV REACH AGREEMENTS // Bargaining unit members at radio stations KNX and KTWV (CBS Radio) achieved successor agreements, with gains that included guaranteed increases to both base salaries and to contribution rates to AFTRA Health & Retirement. The increases to base salaries are retroactive to Jan. 1 for KNX and to Nov. 22 for KTWV. NY HOSTS STUDENT MENTORING // The 11th annual SAG-AFTRA New York Broadcast Mentoring Program took place April 11 at the SAG-AFTRA New York office. A total of 70 students from area colleges interested in careers in TV and radio news and broadcasting took part in the day-long program. They learned from 12 SAG-AFTRA professional broadcast members. BSC TO MEET IN NYC // The second National Broadcast Steering Committee meeting of 2015 will take place on Aug. 22 in New York City. SUMMER TRAVEL? ENJOY DISCOUNTS WITH UNION PLUS // SAG-AFTRA members can enjoy various travel discounts through Union Plus. Discounts include selected car rentals, union hotels, airfare and world tour vacation packages. Visit unionplus.org/travel to book your summer trip!
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resident Ken Howard has launched the units with shop stewards.” said Brown. “But many President’s Task Force on Education, unit members are not as engaged in the union as Outreach and Engagement (PTEOE), a they could be and don’t understand how important major initiative that has begun to work it is to be actively involved. It’s only when they find with locals around the country in utilizing various themselves in a situation — usually negative — that forms of outreach, including a toolkit of videos, they come to the union for assistance. With the pamphlets and booklets, webinars and seminars. President’s Task Force, our goal is to engage our The idea for this innovative initiative came members and keep them engaged, informed and out of intensive strategic planning sessions last educated at all times — in good times or bad.” year with union leadership. One of the things the Presentations about the PTEOE have been made leadership identified was that to members across the country. The President’s Task Force And members at the Broadcast members want to be more enprovides a road map gaged with the union but don’t Steering Committee meeting in know how to go about it. March in New York received for our membership to The Task Force is comprised understand how the union information about the initiative. of several local and national Task Force members includworks … and become more ing Howard, Carteris, Brown, leaders, led by President Howengaged with SAG-AFTRA Damon and Story highlighted ard and including SAG-AFTRA Vice President, Broadcasters the goals of the initiative. Later, and participate fully.” Catherine Brown; Executive at a leadership training session, — KEN HOWARD Vice President Gabrielle Cartmembers used the Task Force as eris; and National Board members Ellen Crawford guidance to break out into role-playing exercises, and Rebecca Damon as voting members. Vice including brainstorming how members can handle President, Sound Recordings Dan Navarro; New difficulties at their shops and how to create solidarYork board member Jamal Story; and National ity and power among the members. Board member Abby Dylan serve as alternates. “We’re living in a time when more and more “The President’s Task Force provides a road people have no idea what a union is or what a map for our membership to understand how the union does and what workers organized in a union works, how it is governed, and most imporunion can do,” said BSC Chair Joe Krebs. “Unless tantly, how members can become more engaged we and all our members really understand it — with SAG-AFTRA and participate fully,” said really get it in our gut and our heart — then we Howard. “This is a member-driven, strategically won’t be able to protect our middle class memplanned effort to strengthen the bonds that exist bers. If we can get our members excited about among our membership, the industry and future what unions are about and what they can do, this members, by empowering our leaders with tools knowledge and energy will spread to others — to enhance their members’ experiences and and that’s how you create solidarity.” relationships with the union.” For more information on the President’s “Broadcast members are among the most Task Force on Education, Outreach and traditional of union members in SAG-AFTRA. They Engagement and to learn more about the union, work for a single employer in organized broadcast visit sagaftra.org/pteoe.