SAG-AFTRA Broadcast News Spring 2014

Page 1

BROADCAST News The Newsletter for SAG-AFTRA Broadcasters // VOL. 3 // ISSUE 1 // SPRING 2014

NEWS IN BRIEF KPBS STAFFERS JOIN UNION // Fifty-five public media professionals who produce, report, host and present content for television, radio and the Internet at KPBS in San Diego voted in November to join SAG-AFTRA. CPM STAFF VOTES FOR SAG-AFTRA // Forty-nine media professionals at Chicago Public Media who produce, report, host and present content for WBEZ, Vocalo, Sound Opinions and CPM’s digital services voted in December to join SAG-AFTRA. KMEX STAFF GETS NEW CONTRACT // Staff at KMEX in Los Angeles have ratified a successor agreement with Univision’s Channel 34 that includes enhanced benefits for the next three years. The contract covers 27 members. BSC MEETS IN D.C. // The National Broadcast Steering Committee met in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 7. The next meeting is scheduled for March 15 in New York City. N.Y. MENTOR PROGRAM // The 10th annual SAG-AFTRA New York Broadcast Mentoring Program will take place April 5. The program is free and open to all college students interested in a career in TV or radio news. QUALITY JOURNALISM CAMPAIGN // We’d like to know what you think about quality journalism. What trends or issues are you seeing in your news and broadcast community? Send your observations to broadcast@sagaftra.org. KDTV MEMBERS APPROVE CBA // Nine reporters, anchors and hosts for KDTV in San Francisco ratified a new agreement with the Univision-owned and operated station in San Francisco.

PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS SAG-AFTRA, MEDIA COALITION PUSH FOR A FEDERAL SHIELD LAW

I

By Jeffrey Bennett // Chief Deputy General Counsel, Legal & Government Affairs

While never far from the attention of media n 2005, the public debate over whether there should be a federal shield law organizations, it was not until last year that the protecting journalists from being forced to public debate resumed, after the Department reveal their sources came front and center of Justice’s broad subpoena for The Associated in the now-infamous case Press phone records. involving the outing of IF PASSED, THE LAW Now, bipartisan legislaValerie Plame as a CIA WOULD BE A STEP TOWARD tion for a federal shield operative, and the subsequent jailing of ESTABLISHING REASONABLE law is once again being considered in Congress. then-New York Times RULES FOR WHEN THE SAG-AFTRA has joined reporter Judith Miller GOVERNMENT AND OTHERS with a large contingent of for refusing to name her source. Though the events CAN SEEK INFORMATION FROM media organizations to push to get the law finally surrounding the Plame JOURNALISTS AND THEIR passed. case were controversial — Miller never actually SERVICE PROVIDERS. The Free Flow of Informawrote a story identifying tion Act of 2013 (H.R. 1962/S. 987) would allow Plame, among other things — it nonetheless journalists to keep their sources confidential sparked debate over whether a federal shield without the threat of prosecution. law should be passed. CONTINUES ON PAGE 8 >>> 1


CONNECTING WITH CATHERINE BROWN:

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

B

roadcasters are brilliant communicators. This observation comes from watching and listening to some of the best in the business over my lifetime. For more than four decades, it has been my privilege to work alongside great storytellers and investigative journalists. Our professional mission is to turn sometimes-complicated and in-depth information and ideas into easy-to-understand stories for our audience, consumers, customers and our own colleagues. Communicating with each other is what keeps our union strong. To that end, the SAG-AFTRA National Broadcast Steering Committee (BSC) is our best connection to fellow broadcasters, union leaders, members and staff. In some locals, we’re strengthening the connection by forming local BSCs. For example, we invited Philadelphia broadcasters, shop stewards, and active and retired members to

attend a 2013 BSC meeting in Center City, Philadelphia. That was the start of our Philadelphia Local BSC. Right now, SAG-AFTRA actors and performers are laying the groundwork for successful theatrical negotiations through wages and working conditions (W&W) meetings nationwide. SAG-AFTRA broadcasters understand how our union contracts elevate our work and our careers, and it’s essential that we take responsibility for keeping the connection to our union strong and relevant. For us, the BSCs are much like year-round W&W meetings. We discuss contracts, issues, trends and other important things happening in the news and broadcast industry. I urge you to communicate with your local board and staff, identify key local broadcasters and start a local BSC. Compose a committee mission statement and select local chairs. It’s that simple. Make the connection and keep communicating. Catherine Brown is the national vice president, broadcasters.

A MOMENT WITH JOE KREBS:

WORKING WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

A

s I’m writing this, Twitter is catching my eye. I’m learning that Taco Bell will soon be selling the Waffle Taco for breakfast, that the turmoil in Ukraine is a challenge for Putin, and that John Dingell is retiring from Congress after almost 60 years.

It’s hard to look away — so much so fast. Social media is the way many of us get and many of us deliver the news these days. At our last National Broadcast Steering Committee meeting in Washington D.C. on Dec. 7, a panel of D. C. journalists described what it was like to cover the Navy Yard shootings using Twitter and Facebook. If you recall, on Sept. 16, 2013, a gunman killed 12 people and wounded three others during a shooting rampage. The reporters described how they were quickly able to get information out to the public and the care they had to take to make sure the information was reliable and confirmed. But this communications revolution is also a work revolution. These new demands change working conditions. How we use social media, when we use it, the standards that guide us and who owns our work, our followers and our “friends,” are all topics for the bargaining table and concerns for your SAG-AFTRA negotiators and staff. But they need to know what’s being asked of you and what’s going on in your shop. So this letter is a call for help — a call to help your reps help you. Stay in touch and stay involved. Send us your thoughts to broadcast@sagaftra.org. Joe Krebs is chair, National Broadcast Steering Committee. 2

A MESSAGE FROM CHIEF BROADCAST OFFICER MARY CAVALLARO

I

never cease to be impressed by the selfless and thoughtful work of SAG-AFTRA members on behalf of their colleagues, whether it is at the negotiating table, a unit meeting, a grievance proceeding or labor-management meeting. The professionalism, integrity and respect that SAG-AFTRA members bring to their work as journalists and/or broadcast professionals can also be seen in the way they approach their efforts in organizing their shop, negotiating and administering their contracts. SAG-AFTRA employs a staff of skilled and ardent advocates, but the strength of SAG-AFTRA is with its members, those working in the studios, on the sets, in the field and newsrooms. I have had the privilege to sit at negotiating tables with the most thoughtful advocates for workers in our industry — union members who have sacrificed for their colleagues at every turn. Your voice is critical to the strength of SAG-AFTRA. Taking ownership of your union by assuming a leadership position, CONTINUES ON PAGE 5 >>>


MEMBER NEWS Buffalo broadcaster JACQUIE WALKER of WIVB-TV Channel 4 recently celebrated her 30th anniversary as an anchor. Walker is the longest-serving female anchor in Buffalo television history.

Clockwise from top left: Actors Barry Pearl, Tina Marie Nigro Jackson and broadcaster Hal Eisner; KCBS/KCAL weather anchor Josh Rubenstein (in blue jacket) works with students at the academy; volunteers and KTLA broadcasters Kacey Montoya and Sara Welch.

APTRA ACADEMY TRAINS FUTURE BROADCASTERS

T

he suspects were surrounded at a remote camp in the hills of Malibu, Calif. Police had their guns drawn as news crews circled the arrest. As the suspects were handcuffed and led to squad cars, they shouted obscenities, claiming to have started a fire in the hills to prevent the destruction of the environment. These environmental terrorists weren’t real, however. They were SAG-AFTRA actors, recruited by fellow union member and broadcaster Hal Eisner for a weekend broadcast mentoring camp for aspiring reporters and anchors on Dec. 7.

Eisner, a reporter for Fox 11 News in Los Angeles, founded the Associated Press Television and Radio Academy 14 years ago with the help of The Associated Press and Pepperdine University, as well as many reporters, anchors and others in the broadcast community. The camp pairs working broadcast journalists and SAG-AFTRA members with those just starting out or still in school, who are tasked with covering a simulated breaking news event. The academy splits the participants between those who are gearing their careers toward becoming anchors on a news desk and those who want to be out in the field as reporters, producers and photographers. Professional broadcasters are assigned to mentor the team as they cover an elaborate news story plotted out by Eisner and other participants, including local

public information officials from Los Angeles fire and police departments. “By setting up a realistic-feeling mock news story … the goal was to help aspiring news broadcasters produce resume material they could use in their job-hunting efforts,” Eisner said. “There were people who helped us and, without them, we might not have had the successes we’ve enjoyed in our careers. With that ‘paying it forward’ thought in mind, we are now preparing for our 15th camp in December 2014. It’s gratifying how many great broadcasters who are on the air now in cities across the country have participated in the APTRA Academy over the years.” Throughout the weekend, participants also had the opportunity to meet and hear from special guests, among them Eisner’s colleague Christine Devine, who spoke about her career in broadcast. Devine was joined by her former colleague at Fox 11, Carlos Amezcua, to talk about their work as anchors. The camp not only educates the aspiring broadcasters, but the mentors as well. “I learn from these young journalists just as much as they learn from me,” said veteran Fox 11 reporter Tony Valdez, who has been volunteering for the academy for 12 years. “I always learn new approaches and ways to do my work.” •

Hosts of the morning program THE DOC & ANDIE SHOW of Philadelphia country From left, CMA Award station 92.5 winners Medek, Summers XTU were and Crockett. named Major Market Personalities of the Year by the Country Music Association. The team, Ken “Doc” Medek, Andie Summers and sidekick producer Kevin Crockett, have been working together for three years. Rochester station WHEC NEWS10NBC was honored with the 2013 National Edward R. Murrow Award for outstanding achievement in breaking news coverage of the Webster Christmas Eve shooting. News10NBC is the only Rochester news station to receive this national award. The station was also honored with the regional Murrow Award and the Associated Press Award for outstanding breaking news coverage. National Board and San Francisco Local Board member BOB BUTLER was elected national president of the National Association of Black Journalists at the organization’s national convention in the summer. Longtime Univision anchor RAFAEL PINEDA retired as WXTV-41’s main anchor on Dec. 20. Pineda has held the main anchor position with the Spanish-language station since 1972. The Emmy-winning Pineda is the longest-serving television news anchor in the New York area. VIC RATNER, the veteran capitol reporter and war correspondent for ABC News Radio, retired from the network in December. Ratner arrived at ABC in 1973 and among his first assignments was covering the Watergate Seven trial in Washington, D.C. Since then, he covered every presidential campaign, political convention, inauguration and State of the Union address. He also covered almost every space shuttle mission, including the tragic Challenger disaster in 1986. He and fellow journalist Bob Walker were the only ones broadcasting live when the shuttle exploded. 33


TALKING SHOP WITH ELVIS DURAN New York member Elvis Duran has been a fixture in the Big Apple’s radio industry at Z100 (WHTZ) for 22 years, with a syndicated show reaching 50 cities nationwide. He recently sat down with New York Local Second Vice President Jim Kerr (a New York radio legend himself) for a podcast to talk shop — both work and the union. The following are some highlights of the conversation. JK: It works so well that it’s not only on WHTZ in New York. How many cities are you in? ED: It’s around 50.

Z100’s Elvis Duran

CLICK HERE to listen to the entire podcast with Elvis Duran. JIM KERR: You came here to New York to work at Z100, where you still work — WHTZ. You were on in the afternoon and then you took over the morning show. ELVIS DURAN: About 16 years ago, Z100’s ratings were in the toilet … I was ready to jump ship, and I had an offer to go across town to WKTU to do the morning show there, and they said, “No, no, you’re not going anywhere! We’re moving you to the morning show.” And I said, “Oh no, please no, no!” So I was stuck on a sinking ship, doing the morning show. JK: But somehow the ship righted itself and has been very successful through all those years, to the point where right now, 16 years later, your show is often No. 1 in total audience. ED: You know there’s something about ratings that I just don’t catch on to. I don’t understand them — I mean I kind of understand them, but I don’t look at them. We come in here every day and just do a show and we pray to God that someone likes it and someone’s listening to it. Luckily, it works. 4

JK: Now you have a very large cast. ED: Yeah, we have a huge, huge cast of weirdos we work with every morning. It’s kind of unusual in this day and age, especially with financial cutbacks going on in our business, but we have somehow found a way to hold on to these, in my opinion, necessary pieces of the puzzle. JK: Yeah, there are producers, writers, phone screeners — behind-the-scenes people. Your show provides a lot of employment opportunity for SAG-AFTRA members. ED: Absolutely. JK: And generates a lot of income to take care of their families. ED: Yes, and health care. JK: You’re very successful, you’re a very big deal and you make a lot of money. You’re a really successful guy in our industry. You’re one of the very top people in our business. ED: Why do you say these things? JK: Because I’m going to make an important point. ED: You’re trying to embarrass me. JK: When SAG-AFTRA negotiates the contracts for the people who work at the radio and TV stations, often the people who show up are people who are working for scale, people who are working on the weekends. Now, I know from speaking to the people at Z100, that you always have their back. ED: Oh, absolutely. When we have our SAG-AFTRA meetings, I try to do everything I can to be a part of that. You know, there’s more at play here than just me and

my morning show. There’s also Z100. Z100 is my home, and every minute of the day, seven days a week, Z100 is important to me. So no matter who is at the helm, if they’re part-time SAG-AFTRA or they’re full-time SAG-AFTRA, they need to be covered and taken care of. And I can’t stress enough how important it is to be involved with all facets of negotiations, basically just keeping up with what’s going on in the shop. A lot of people who work for my staff are entry-level, so it’s very important that we all take part, no matter how long we’ve been around. JK: Now the vast majority of our fellow SAG-AFTRA members may not really understand much of what goes into putting together a show like Elvis Duran’s Morning Show. I mean there are improvisational skills, there are comedy bits to write, there are roles to play, there’s commercial copy to be read and sometimes created just out of your own head. Many of our actor friends have done commercial voiceovers, but they probably don’t have so much experience with an advertiser saying “we’re buying a 60-second commercial — you make it up.” ED: Right. See that’s the beauty of radio. I can’t speak for all of radio, but we’re trusted to be given an idea and run with it. There are many, many people who are much more qualified than me who can read into a microphone and sell a product, but the advertisers are buying the honesty that we have. They’re buying this honest connection that we have with our audience, and it’s a great playground. Radio is improv. It’s controlled chaos. It’s many things all performers would love to be a part of, and we’re so, so fortunate to be able to do this every day. JK: You’ve even sung on the air … ED: Every once in a while my show tunes will come out. I’ll pump out the Ethel Merman. JK: It’s like Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney getting together in the barn every morning. ED: Let’s go out to the barn and put on a show! JK: Because that’s what radio morning shows are about. ED: We thrive on being able to be spontaneous. Actually, we’re encouraged to be spontaneous. We’re encouraged to be us. For some reason, they pay for that. •


OSGOOD AND LAMB SHARE STORIES AT SAG-AFTRA, SAG FOUNDATION EVENT

V

eteran SAG-AFTRA broadcasters Charles Osgood (CBS News Sunday Morning, The Osgood Files) and Rich Lamb (WCBS-TV New York) shared career stories and highlights at an event co-sponsored by the SAG-AFTRA News and Broadcast Department and the SAG Foundation in New York on Feb. 20.

HOWARD MEETS WITH BROADCASTERS IN NEW YORK On a recent visit to New York, SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard was treated to a tour of the Clear Channel facilities in Manhattan and met with members there. Clear Channel operates several different stations in Manhattan, including WOR, WLTW and Q104.3. New York Local Second Vice President Jim Kerr gave the tour for Howard, who was joined by New York Local President and National Vice President, New York Mike Hodge and National Board Member Rebecca Damon. Howard also took meetings with National Board members Christine Nagy of WLTW-FM and Jeff Spurgeon of WQXR. The leaders toured the iHeartRadio studios, which gave Howard a glimpse of the future of broadcast. “Seeing an on-camera studio audience set up in a radio complex gave us a very good picture – if it wasn’t already crystal

Broadcast, Storytelling and the News: An Evening with Rich Lamb and Charles Osgood took place at Baruch College Performing Arts Center in Manhattan and was moderated by WCBS-TV news anchor Dana Tyler. A packed house of SAG-AFTRA members and guests learned about the career paths Osgood and Lamb took. The two broadcasters treated the audience to humorous stories of on-air errors and the inside scoop on some of the most memorable stories they’ve covered. Lamb, Osgood and Tyler also shared career advice and perspective on how to tell a great story in radio and television. When asked why they were participating in the panel, Lamb, who has spent nearly 30 years as a reporter at WCBS, responded, “Because I am the shop steward.” Osgood, who in 2010 was honored with the AFTRA Foundation’s AFTRA Media and Entertainment Excellence lifetime achievement award in broadcasting, added, “Well it [SAG-AFTRA] is my outfit.” This was the first event co-sponsored by the SAG-AFTRA News and Broadcast Department and the SAG Foundation, and was part of the foundation’s ongoing Storytelling for the 21st Century LifeRaft series. •

clear to all of us – of where our work is headed,” Howard said, adding, “I have always been a huge fan of broadcasters and seeing our members in action was a real highlight.” Pictured from left: Hodge, Kerr and Howard.

CAVALLARO FROM PAGE 3

becoming a thoughtful steward of your SAG-AFTRA collective bargaining agreement and/or being an advocate on behalf of your colleagues at work is essential to the success of the union process.

There are so many different ways that you can add your voice to the union process, and I urge you to contact your local office and/or your SAG-AFTRA steward, get involved and be heard. From left, Charles Osgood, Dana Tyler and Rich Lamb. 5


W

hen NPR Europe Editor Ted Clark retired in December, there was plenty to praise about his 34 years at the public radio network. Clark hadn’t done it all since joining the network in 1979, but he came close: editor and executive producer of All Things Considered, NPR’s flagship radio news magazine; White House correspondent; diplomatic correspondent; Asia editor on the foreign desk; deputy senior foreign editor; and, finally, Europe editor. Clark also shared a Peabody Award for reporting on the child victims of the war in Mozambique. He spent a decade chronicling peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. And he devoted six years to the growing wealth and power of China. But none of that was mentioned in an allstaff email marking Clark’s retirement sent out by colleague Howard Berkes, a correspondent in NPR’s Investigative Unit with three decades of AFTRA activism at NPR, and now SAG-AFTRA. Berkes recalled Clark’s little-known, risky and decisive role in a divisive labor dispute at NPR in 1982.

CHUCK HOLMES

“Here’s something worth knowing about Ted as he marks his final hours at NPR,” Berkes wrote. “Ted … leaves behind a

DOBY PHOTOGRAPHY/NPR

NPR VETERAN’S RETIREMENT RECALLS BRAVE UNION ACT legacy of commitment and collegiality we should all try to emulate. He did the right thing at the critical moment.”

That’s a reference to what Berkes described as NPR’s decision to “employ” eight reporters spread all across the country as contractors with a fraction of staff reporter pay and none of the benefits guaranteed in NPR’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with AFTRA.

“Ted was the sole NPR editor brave enough to testify on our behalf,” Berkes wrote to NPR’s staff. “As a White House correspondent and All Things Considered editor, Ted was ready to say that our work was equal to the work of staff reporters and that we were required to meet the same standards and expectations. Other editors told us they were afraid to testify. They feared retribution by management. Ted stuck his highly respected neck out for us and his presence alone in that hearing room made all the difference.”

“This group included some of NPR’s most Berkes says the NPR manager in the room productive reporters and the control took one look at Clark and blanched. exercised by NPR fit IRS and National Labor Relations “There was some whisAct definitions pering with the NPR “WE CALL EACH OTHER of employees, lawyers,” Berkes rememCOLLEAGUES, BUT THERE not contractors,” bers. “The NLRB hearing Berkes recalls. officer arrived and asked IS NO GREATER TEST OF NPR’s representatives if a COLLEGIALITY THAN STICKING settlement was possible. With AFTRA’s help, the group UP FOR EACH OTHER, EVEN ‘Yes,’ the NPR lawyer said. filed a complaint We were hired as full staff AT SOME PERSONAL AND with the National on the spot.” Labor Relations PROFESSIONAL RISK.” Board. At the first As Berkes told the NPR — HOWARD BERKES NLRB hearing in staff in December, “We the case, Berkes call each other colleagues, sat with late AFTRA representative Don but there is no greater test of collegiality Gaynor and late AFTRA attorney Tom than sticking up for each other, even at Powers. Behind them, sitting quietly was some personal and professional risk. As a Ted Clark. show editor and correspondent, Ted was positioned to provide critical testimony in the hearing room and he didn’t hesitate to appear.” Clark packs up his space on his last day at NPR.

Berkes notes that other senior NPR staffers, including Nina Totenberg and Cokie Roberts, had privately appealed to management on behalf of the affected reporters, “but the company resisted.” “It was really remarkable,” Berkes recalls. “Ted didn’t say a word in that hearing room. It was his simple and stoic presence and the power of the words he would use, which changed everything.”

6

Berkes told his colleagues that there are many reasons to celebrate Clark’s NPR career. “This is one you didn’t likely know about but should. Ted helped make eight NPR careers possible. [And] he taught me a lifelong lesson about standing up for what is right.” •


PAPERLESS BILLING NOW AVAILABLE ! Say goodbye to stamps and envelopes and sign up today for a convenient and environmentally friendly way to handle your dues bill. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE UNION. Get the union member auto advantage with car buying and parts and service discounts negotiated and designed just for hard working union members like you. These Union Plus auto savings and services include: • • • • • •

24-hour roadside assistance at a lower price than AAA A hassle-free, money-saving car buying service from TRUECar® Up to $200 in rebates on new union-made cars 10% off on Goodyear® tires and service Special group rates on auto insurance Car rental discounts

Discover savings at

UnionPlus.org/Auto

7


FEDERAL SHIELD FROM PAGE 1

If passed, the law would be a step toward establishing rules for when the government and others can seek information from journalists and their service providers. “There’s no question that protecting confidential sources can be a critical tool for journalists tasked with delivering stories that are fair, accurate and balanced,” said Catherine Brown, SAG-AFTRA national vice president, broadcasters. “Approval of a federal law is long overdue.” There are already laws in place in 49 states and the District of Columbia protecting journalists on a state level, but there is no law on the federal level. A federal shield law allows journalists to do their jobs without the fear of being jailed, and it protects the public’s right to know. What it really does is protect the identity of a source. The law would also prevent debacles such as what happened with The Associated Press, which had no notice of the DOJ’s subpoena and was unable to challenge it in court. The current draft of the bill provides a system of checks and balances by requiring judicial oversight of such requests. SAG-AFTRA and its coalition partners, includingThe Associated Press, the Society of Professional Journalists, CWA-Newspaper Guild and others are supporting the bill. In January, we asked broadcasters to consider contacting their representatives to express support for the legislation. Be on the lookout for more updates or calls to action as this bill continues to work through the legislative process. If you did not receive the January update, contact the Membership Department and make sure your correct email is on file. • To learn more about the bill, check out SPJ’s website section dedicated to all things Federal Shield Law, at spj.org/shieldlaw.asp.

THE WEINGARTEN CARD. DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT! Don’t let a meeting with management get out of hand. If you’re called

LIST OF CONTRACTS APPROVED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SINCE JULY 2013 • Dial Global Newscasters, Editors & Producers • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

(Washington-Mid Atlantic) KCTV/KSMO (Missouri Valley) KDKA-AM (Ohio-Pittsburgh) KDTV-TV (San Francisco) KFOR-TV (Dallas-Fort Worth) KING-TV (Seattle) KMEX-TV (Los Angeles) KMOX-AM (Missouri Valley) KPRS-FM/KPRT-AM (Missouri Valley) KRON-TV (San Francisco) KTVI/KPLR-TV (Missouri Valley) KYW-TV (Philadelphia) New York Giants Radio Programs (New York) Sheridan Broadcasting Corp. DBA American Urban Radio Networks (Ohio-Pittsburgh) WABC-TV (New York) WASH-FM (Washington-Mid Atlantic) WBBM-FM (Chicago) WCBS-TV (New York) WDVE-FM (Ohio-Pittsburgh) WIHT-FM (Washington-Mid Atlantic) WIP-FM (Philadelphia) WJLA-TV/News Channel 8 (Washington-Mid Atlantic) WMAR-TV (Washington-Mid Atlantic) WMZQ-FM (Washington-Mid Atlantic) WNJU (New York) WTTG-TV (Washington-Mid Atlantic) WUSA-TV (Washington-Mid Atlantic) WXTU-FM (Philadelphia) WWDC-FM (Washington-Mid Atlantic) WWSW-FM/WBGG-AM (Ohio-Pittsburgh)

in to explain why something went wrong, stop and think about your Weingarten Rights. By presenting this card to management, YOU have a right to stop a meeting until your steward, assistant steward or a local rep arrives to accompany you. “If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined, terminated, or affect my personal working conditions, I request that my shop steward or union officer be present at this meeting. Until they arrive, as is my right under a U.S. Supreme Court decision called Weingarten, I choose not to answer any questions regarding this matter.”

8

BROADCAST News 5757 Wilshire Blvd. 7th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90036 P // 800.638.6796 F // 212.532.2242 / 323.634.8194 E // BROADCAST@SAGAFTRA.ORG BROADCAST News is published quarterly for news and broadcast members of SAG-AFTRA. Corrections, suggestions and submissions can be sent to broadcast@sagaftra.org.

FOLLOW US /sagaftra

@sagaftra


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.