IBEW Signs Three-Year Pact with CBS

by James Parks, Jan 25, 2007

We thank David Roscow for letting us know the Electrical Workers (IBEW) and CBS Broadcasting have reached an early contract to extend their current agreement for three years. The current contract was supposed to expire July 31.

The new pact includes a unique pledge by CBS to actively look for opportunities to assign IBEW technicians to perform work for the Internet and emerging media. The company’s efforts already have paid dividends with an arrangement to use IBEW employees to work at a facility that CBS will establish at its headquarters in Los Angeles to distribute programming on its MediaFlo mobile entertainment service.

IBEW President Edwin Hill says the deal exemplifies the solid working relationship that CBS management and the IBEW represented workers have developed over the years:

Through the terms of this contract extension, we will continue to work together on this path of success and pursue opportunities in emerging new media that will benefit both our members and CBS.

The extension also provides for salary increases of 3 percent in each of the first two years, and 3.5 percent in the final year. CBS also agreed to increase its contributions to benefits funds for freelance and per diem employees and for certain travel and per diem allowances for both staff and freelancers.

The contract covers some 2,400 workers across the country and includes technical employees such as camerapersons, sound persons, editors and maintenance technicians.

This contract is one of the first in a big year for collective bargaining. Several huge contracts expire this year, including UAW’s pact with the Big Three automakers, the contract between 14 unions and General Electric Co. and statewide contracts with public employees in Connecticut, Iowa, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington State and Wisconsin.

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