The Bottom Line
After more than 50 years of labor peace between NABET-CWA and KGTV, McGraw-Hill Broadcasting is union-busting. Rather than negotiate a fair contract, the Company is intent on intimidating the employees into giving up their Union.
In the Fall of 2005, KGTV hired the law firm of Sheppard Mullin, who boasts of providing employers with "union-free" environments. The lawyer representing KGTV is John D. Collins, of which his firm says, "He has 
assisted literally hundreds of companies in maintaining or achieving non-union status."
Documents obtained by NABET-CWA outline a chilling campaign by KGTV designed to influence Local 54 members to decertify their Union. The documents include a "voter assessment" of each employee that includes a fear (such as loss of family health benefits) that could be used against them. According to documents, the plan has the support of McGraw-Hill Corporate executives and call this an "historic opportunity." Click here to read more and view the plan.
Since January 2006, KGTV:
- Intentionally created an impasse in negotiations
- Implemented changes against the will of the employees
- Delayed returning to negotiations for over a year, then modified their original proposals to make them even more devastating for employees
- Continues to spin or misrepresent the facts or give totally false information
- Refuses to negotiate in good faith
- Retaliates against employees for supporting their Union, including threats of termination
- Actively encourages Employees to bust the Union
- Was forced to settle multiple Unfair Labor Practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board because it could not defend those charges in court. The charges included unlawfully threatening and intimidating Employees, unlawful observation (photographing and videotaping) of Union activity, interfering with lawful handbilling and unlawfully using surveillance cameras without first negotiating with the Union.
- Laid off employees without bargaining with the Union. The National Labor Relations Board determined that the appropriate remedy for KGTV's refusal to bargain was to return the employees to work with full back pay. KGTV refused and a hearing was held, but the final outcome has yet to be determined by the NLRB.
It's been 4 years since negotiations first began on a new contract for workers at KGTV. The prior agreement expired on January 31, 2006, but most of the terms and conditions remain in effect. Negotiations came to a standstill on March 16, 2006, when management presented the
Union Negotiating Committee with a "final" offer. That offer was overwhelmingly turned down by the Local
54 membership at a ratification meeting on March 25, 2006. Several weeks later, KGTV implemented parts of the offer and
Local 54 members began a mobilization campaign. McGraw-Hill and KGTV have squandered an estimated $5 million over the last 4 years on this union-busting attempt. Local 54 President Dennis Csillag said, "Our Executive Board remains solidly committed to negotiating a fair and equitable agreement with the Company."
Local 54 has the support of the San Diego County labor community, representing over 189,000 working families. Those union members — and friends and families — have shunned 10News and its advertisers, dramatically impacting KGTV's ratings and revenue.
