Five WCPO directors have filed paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board requesting an election over joining the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET), a division of the Communication Workers of America.
The NABET-CWA has 18 members in the engineering and production departments at WCPO-TV, the ABC affiliate owned by Cincinnati-based Scripps. The union has had a presence at Channel 9 for "many decades," says Bera Dunau, NABET-CWA organizing coordinator.
"There was no specific issue that raised our desire for representation, just a belief that we would be better off being represented," says Matt Luken, who started working at the station in 1985, when he was in college. He was in the union for three years — and briefly vice president of the local chapter — while in the production department before becoming a director 34 years ago.
"In the current atmosphere of our business there are constant changes in technology, which often then lead to changes in staffing needs. In this environment we would feel more comfortable being part of a group with collective representation," Luken says.
Channel 9 has six directors. One is a hybrid whose primary job is in the engineering department, so he's covered by the union contract, Luken says.
The workers also sought voluntary recognition from Scripps. Jeff Brogan, Channel 9 vice president and general manager, told the five employees in an email that the company would not voluntarily recognize NABET as their representative, according to Luken.
Scripps declined to comment for this story.
"We can’t comment on union activity, but we strive to foster a collaborative and supportive workplace at all our local stations and national networks, including WCPO," said a statement provided by Michael Perry, senior director of external communications.
Luken says that "compensation increases are erratic at best" at the station.
"We feel that we have no leverage, and when it suits the company we are not given proper consideration. That is a business decision by the company. If we want to stay at our jobs and with the company, we have no leverage and they have no need to give us what we consider proper consideration," Luken says.
"We are familiar with the contract/conditions that the NABET employees work under and we feel that they are treated more fairly, and we would like that for us as well," he continues. "Some of it is compensation, pay rate and regular consistent pay increases; when overtime is given and how much it is; some of it is work conditions and responsibilities being defined."
NABET represents more than 10,000 workers nationally. The parent CWA union "supports another 650,000 members in telecommunications, newspapers, manufacturing, state and local government, nursing, policing and many other fields," according to the NABET-CWA website.
"During my time in local television the business model has changed many times," Luken says. "Local stations used to make a lot more money. In these business decision situations we don't have any leverage if we're not going to leave, and we feel we should be treated better even if we want to stay in the jobs we have."
