WGA and ABC News Writers reach tentative deal

The Writers' Guild of America's (WGA) strike against Hollywood film and entertainment television producers has captured most of the media's attention, but another battle rages between news writers represented by WGA and news producers CBS and ABC. The CBS news writers took a strike vote and announced on November 20th that 80% voted to authorize.

There's good news! Yesterday ABC and the WGA reached a tentative agreement with its news writers, which only increases the pressure on rival CBS.

The deal, reached after three years of negotiations, is subject to a ratification vote next month by the ABC News employees...
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More on the saga at CBS below the fold...

News writers' at CBS strike vote in mid-November authorized a strike by writers who have been working without a contract since April 2, 2005, and without a pay raise since April, 2004.

Even though a strike has not yet been called, the casualties have already begun. The Democratic National Committee cancelled its December 10th candidates' debate in Los Angeles, citing the strike authorization vote and uncertainty over the continuing WGA strike against the network's entertainment division.

The ABC tentative agreement is about more than salaries and benefits. Resolving a jurisdictional challenge was instrumental in the agreement, though pay raises will be forthcoming if the agreement is approved by the rank and file.

The new contract would run until 2010. Under terms of the latest agreement, the ABC employees would receive raises of 3.5 percent annually for the life of the contract.
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There are more serious jurisdictional questions at CBS Radio. ABC's radio division is rapidly shrinking, with the sale of most of its News/Talk operations to Citadel. Only Radio Disney and some ESPN properties remain at ABC.

At CBS, however, mergers and acquisitions during the Mel Karmazin years have given CBS both newsers in the two largest markets. CBS now controls both WCBS and WINS in New York, and both KNX and KFWB in Los Angeles, which has resulted in some confusing jurisdictional issues. Some of KFWB's writer/producers are represented by AFTRA.

Money is a concern at CBS also. The network has offered a two-tier arrangement for its news writers, with a 2.2% increase for television and network radio employees, and a 1.48% increase for writers at the local stations.