The writers' and producers' union at New York City's flagship PBS affiliate is demanding that WNET Thirteen drop its “union-busting proposals” and commit to a pay increase after months of delays, according to a letter obtained by The New York Post.
The Writers Guild of America East told management at left-leaning broadcast networks on Monday that they must take “urgent action” to strengthen a new collective bargaining agreement for their members, according to a letter dated Monday.
The union and the broadcaster have been negotiating a new contract since April, with the union hoping it will include provisions for a “living wage and well-earned holidays.”
The contract was in effect from July 2019 to June this year. It has since been extended several times, with the latest extension expiring on October 9.
“Unfortunately, Thirteen management has obstructed negotiations by insisting on extreme proposals that threaten their jobs and their union,” the letter, addressed to Channel 13 board chair James Atwood and Dr. Antoinette DeLuca, chair of the channel's Community Advisory Board, said.
The Guild further stated that management:[ing] They seek to eviscerate employee unions by demanding the power to assign work to non-union members without meaningful limitations.”
The letter calls on management to “withdraw its union-busting proposals, agree to wage increases that reflect the rising cost of living, and include paid time off for per diem employees.”
The Post has reached out to WNET Thirteen for comment.
Unlike commercial television, Channel 13, which has been serving the New York City metropolitan area since 1962, is a PBS affiliate supported by federal, state and local funding, as well as viewer donations, charitable grants and endowments.
The Writers Guild of America East and Writers Guild of America West are also negotiating new contracts with the three public television stations for their 150 freelance writers.
The union is in talks with WNET Thirteen, Boston's GBH and Los Angeles-based Public Media Group, which operates two stations in the city.
Earlier this year, WNET Group, which also controls Thirteen in addition to WLIW on Long Island and NJ PBS in New Jersey, announced job cuts at its New Jersey division.
The letter said the union will “stand by our members as long as they take the necessary actions to protect their union and their way of life.”
“We ask that you use your power and influence to support the workers of WNET Thirteen and help them secure a fair contract now,” the union wrote in the letter.
