Broadcast Report

National Broadcast Steering Committee members Byron Barnett, Shelby Scott and Vic Ramos represent the New England Local at the October 2016 BSC meeting. 

"I am pleased to report that for the first time in 16 years, the New England Local has a new broadcast bargaining unit. The news producers and associate producers of WFSB-TV voted 13–1 to be represented by SAG-AFTRA. They join their on-air colleagues in enjoying the right to bargain with management for the benefits and protections a union contract will provide. 

"Several contacts at New England stations were approved in the last year, including WCVB-TV, WTIC AM/FM, WTNH-TV, WFSB-TV, WGME-TV and TTWN. The local is currently negotiating all of our CBS stations in Boston — both TV and radio — which includes WBZ-TV, WBZ-AM, WODS-FM and WBMX-FM.

"CBS Radio recently set up a national traffic service across the country. Negotiations between CBS and SAG-AFTRA were fast and furious, with a new national contract in place as of March 2017. The New England Local is pleased to welcome several new broadcast members working under this national contract in Boston and Farmington, Connecticut.

"The National Broadcast Steering Committee met three times over the last 12 months to address common broadcast issues faced across the country. Topics included keeping journalists safe in the field, First Amendment rights and the rise in social media as a source of news. Since merger five years ago, more than 20 broadcast shops have been organized by SAG-AFTRA, including NPR, Minnesota Public Radio and several local Spanish-language broadcast stations in L.A. and Chicago. The union also organized performers at Telemundo, marking the first time in 60 years that a group of performers at a major TV network has voted to unionize with SAG-AFTRA. 

"On April 8, the New England Local hosted the second in a series of broadcast shop leadership training workshops. More than a dozen on and off-air members from CBS Traffic, TTWN, WBMX-FM, WBZ-AM, WBZ-TV, WCVB-TV and WHDH-TV participated in the session that covered the key roles of shop stewards, station assessments, organizing and outreach.

"Finally, 2016 saw a couple of long-time Boston broadcasters and SAG-AFTRA members retire. Last May, WCVB-TV reporter Jack Harper put down his microphone after 34 years in Boston television. Whether it was a snowstorm or reporting on the tragedy of 9/11, Jack made viewers feel the emotion of the story. Jack follows WBZ-TV producer Rob Gati, who retired after 37 years. Rob’s ability to adapt to the changes of broadcast news has allowed him to help tell stories from desegregation to the Boston Marathon bombings. In addition to his responsibilities as a producer, Rob served as shop steward and is a former local board member going back to legacy AFTRA."

This item was originally featured in the May 2017 local newsletter.