CBS, WGA Reach Tentative Pact For News Writers

Approved By Negotiating Committee, Contract Still To Be Ratified By Union

By Linda Haugsted -- Multichannel News, 1/9/2008 8:18:00 AM MT

CBS and the Writers Guild of America have reached a tentative accord for a new contract for news writers, who have been working under an expired contract since April 2005.

The contract covers 500 editors, news writers, desk assistants, production assistants, graphic artists, promotion writers and researchers in national and local stations. The new contract has been approved by the negotiating committee but must still be ratified by the union membership.

The news workers will receive a 3.5% raise if the contract is ratified, and another in 2009. Writers who were on the job at least 200 days in 2007, and received no raises as the negotiations were underway, will get an additional $3,700 payment. Shorter term workers will receive pro-rated payments.

To reach the agreement, CBS dropped a demand to create a two-tiered work force that would have given lower salary increases to radio employees; and a demand to assign current WGA jobs at KNX Radio to non-WGA employees.

If approved, the new contract would run until April 1, 2010.