Jan 9, 2008 11:04 pm US/Mountain
WGA, CBS News Writers Reach Tentative Agreement
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
Hollywood scribes are still on the picket lines, but the Writers Guild
of America did manage to resolve another labor dispute Wednesday,
reaching a tentative deal with about 500 CBS news writers and other
employees.
The
contract covers about 500 CBS news writers, editors, desk assistants,
production assistants, graphic artists, promotion writers and
researchers working locally and nationally for television and radio.
A
statement released by CBS said: "We are gratified that a tentative
agreement has been reached so that CBS and its valued WGA news
employees can put this chapter behind us. Our focus throughout the
process has been on reaching a fair agreement and we think this
contract is good for both sides."
The CBS employees had been
working without a contract for nearly three years. The possibility of a
strike by the network employees even prompted the Democratic National
Committee to cancel a presidential debate that had been planned last
month in Los Angeles for broadcast on CBS.
The proposed
contract, which still must be ratified by union members, would include
a 3.5 percent raise upon ratification and again in 2009, according to
the WGA. Most regularly scheduled employees who worked 200 days or more
in 2007 and did not receive raises during the negotiations will receive
payments of $3,700. Employees who worked less would receive pro-rated
payments.
"This has been a long struggle, but our members
became mobilized and engaged in a way they have never been before,"
said Mona Mangan, executive director of the Writers Guild of America,
East. "This contract truly belongs to them."
Patric M.
Verrone, president of the WGA, West, said he now hopes CBS will return
to the bargaining table to reach a deal with striking film and
television writers.
"This is good news for news writers and I
congratulate them," Verrone said. "After months without negotiations,
once bargaining resumed we were able to reach an agreement quickly."
The film and television writers strike began in November, and negotiations broke down Dec. 7. No new talks have been scheduled.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
