NLRB Says NBC Universal Broke Law

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

The National Labor Relations Board ruled on April 7 that NBC Universal violated federal labor law by refusing to recognize and bargain with NABET-CWA. The case stems from an attempt by NBC in early 2009 to unilaterally change the terms and conditions of employment for NABET-CWA members working as news writers, editors, and photographers at owned and operated TV stations in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles, as well as at the NBC affiliate in Washington, D.C. NBC tried to claim that it was consolidating work and creating new, non-union "content producer" jobs. NABET-CWA pushed back, and a 2011 NLRB ruling out of Region 2 made it clear that these so-called “content producers” were doing the same work they've always done – just with a different title. Now the NLRB has ordered NBC to recognize and bargain with NABET-CWA and to provide the information NABET-CWA negotiators had requested last October. As a result of the decision, NABET-CWA represents all content producers at the Chicago, New York and Los Angeles stations, whether or not those workers previously had been represented by NABET-CWA before NBC changed their job classification to content producer. At the Washington, D.C. station, a representation election must be held for the content producers group. NABET-CWA President Jim Joyce said the union "is grateful for the decision of the NLRB and we expect NBC to now negotiate a contract with us for the workers." - CWA Newsletter; photo: members of NABET-CWA Local 52031 picket outside WRC, the local NBC affiliate, in 2010; photo courtesy CWA