Using pope visit as leverage, CBS3 employees join NBC10 in strike vote

The union representing the roughly 75 photographers and technicians at CBS3 overwhelmingly voted Tuesday to strike over stalled contract negotiations.

The news comes a day after it was learned that roughly 65 photographers and technicians at NBC10 notified station management that they are exercising their right to terminate a collective bargaining agreement in 10 days and set a Sept. 21 strike date.

CBS3 cameramen and technicians joined their peers at NBC10 in voting to authorize a strike as Pope Francis prepares to visit Philadelphia next week.

Both unions said they are using Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia next week as leverage in negotiations, as neither station wants to be without so many key employees while the historic event takes place.

A source with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 804 that represents the CBS3 photographers and technicians said the vote conducted Tuesday was 57-5 in favor of a strike. The contract expired July 15 and the IATSE employees have been working under the terms of the pre-existing deal since that time.

The main sticking point, the source said, is salary increases, with management offering 2 percent bumps and the union angling for 3 to 3.5 percent raises.

“Very rarely do we have any advantage in negotiations,” the source said. “With the Pope coming, we have a little. So we are going to use any advantage we can get. [CBS3 management] have made all these changes. There are hiring anchors and firing anchors. We just sort of feel ignored in all this.”

CBS3’s new station manager, Brien Kennedy, purged numerous employees in the months after his arrival in April — overhauling three quarters of the main Eyewitness News night time anchor crew, hiring several new reporters and replacing the news and sales directors.

"We look forward to reaching a fair and mutually beneficial agreement with our IATSE employees as soon as possible," CBS3 management said in a statement.

IATSE has not set a firm strike date for the CBS3 employees – unlike NBC10, where the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98, which represents the affected employees, has set a Sept. 21 deadline for a strike.

The key sticking point in negotiations for the NBC10 employees has been cutting the number of union positions by between six to 12 and replacing them with cheaper workers.

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal