NBC and MSNBC Staffers Walk Off the Job to Protest Layoffs

[Zorro]

Source: Daily Beast

Unionized reporters and editors at NBC News staged a walkout on Thursday in protest of recent layoffs and the network’s handling of ongoing contract bargaining.

The staffers gathered out front of the network’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza headquarters, in a gated-off section of the sidewalk, holding signs and accompanied by an inflatable rat—a common prop for union protests—and a giant check railing against “stolen wages.”

Union leaders first promised the walkout earlier this week, specifically citing NBC’s decision to lay off seven unit members last month without notifying the union. The NBC Guild has since filed multiple unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, though it has grown impatient in waiting for a resolution.

“Today, I’m joining over 200 NBC News, MSNBC and TODAY Show journalists walking off the job to protest management’s decision to illegally lay off seven unit members and strip several others of their union protections without bargaining,” read one unit member’s out-of-office email reply when reached by The Daily Beast on Thursday morning. “NBC must stop breaking the law, reinstate our colleagues and let us all get back to work.”

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/nbc-and-msnbc-staffers-walk-off-the-job-in-contract-dispute

[progressoid]

1. Meanwhile, they gave Rachel $30 million to work less

MSNBC needs a new person at the helm to get that ship in shape.

[PJMcK]

3. To be fair...

… from the network’s point of view, Rachel is worth the money. First, she’s one of the best in the business. Second, she draws an audience. The network likes #2. For them, #1 is good, too.

Did you ever read Marshall McLuhan’s definitive book, The Medium Is The Message? It fiercely details what mass medium is about at the fundamental level: To sell advertising. You’re not really watching the Super Bowl. The network wants you to see the ads for which they’ve charged millions of dollars.

It’s a merciless examination of broadcast networks and while it’s a bit dated in technology, the principles are even more acute today. Highly recommended.

[calimary]

5. But 30-million for a one-day-a-week "work-week"?

How about 30-million for a five-day work-week?

Sorry, but this “I only do Mondays” shit is just that: shit. And it throws the whole rest of the week off-kilter. Is you IS or is you AIN’T?

If Rachel only wanted to work one day a week for that kind of money, then I’d give her Saturday evenings for two hours, maybe leading into “Saturday Night Live” doing a new kind of “That Was the Week that Was.”

But this arrangement now? Sucks. At least to me.

[appalachiablue]

9. It's way too much..

[Bayard]

13. Thirty million for working 4 days a month?!

But she has had to put in a few extra days lately for election coverage.

I think she was wanting to leave altogether, and they talked her into doing a bare minimum.

I really like Rachel, and actually named a goat after her--a great honor! I've also noticed, when the whole MSNBC nightly group is together, they all defer to her. It really got to me when her last few regular shows, and everybody else's shows, knocked themselves out promoting, "Ultra."

Just my .02

[jgo]

8. Here are the most recent ratings ...

broken down into two groups - 25-54, and all

https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/monday-feb-6-scoreboard-tucker-carlson-tonight-is-most-watched-show-for-second-consecutive-monday/523808/

[moonscape]

10. The Fox numbers are depressing.

[PJMcK]

11. AdWeek is reasonably reliable

Great information. Thanks.

In the end, Rachel (and her representatives) as well as the MSNBC side all agreed to the terms that we viewers get to see. As it’s said, a good deal is when no one is thrilled but no one feels burned.

[FakeNoose]

12. Rachel Maddow isn't in the union, I doubt that any of the on-air hosts are

This isn't about the Rachel Maddows anyway. When the network signs an agreement with the union, both sides have to stick with the agreement. NBC Universal didn't; they fired employees unfairly and without the proper notifications or procedures. The strike is justified as far as I can see. However they called the strike for only one day, so it seems that the union feels there will be a hearing and something will be done on behalf of those employees.

[Rhiannon12866]

14. I noticed no difference in tonight's shows, they were as professional as ever

A couple of the shows had substitute hosts, but they also have shows of their own and there are often substitutes on Fridays. As for the staffs, the regular hosts often rhapsodize about what wonderful staffs they have, especially Rachel Maddow. One woman on her staff had a baby last week and she showed pix. It sounds like they're considered "family."

[NullTuples]

2. Unions are sometimes the only viable tool workers have to avoid exploitation

Oh, sure - sometimes we get laws passed to help. And sometimes those laws are even enforced. And occasionally, very rarely, an employer will be punished for violations. Can't say I can recall the last time such a penalty was large enough to be an actual deterrent though. Except OSHA & EEOC actions; those seem to work as designed. But they are intended for egregious violations. It's *good* that unions push back against employers & I hope we soon see a new era of union growth, though it will be difficult thanks to Republican efforts to thwart their ability to exist and work.

[Crowman2009]

4. Frankly, our country needs a general strike.

We need to bring the 1% to their knees, and it is long overdue IMO.

[ificandream]

6. Good to see some union action. We need a lot more of it.

[appalachiablue]

7. From Common Dreams:

NBC has repeatedly broken the law, disrespected the rights of its employees, & illegally terminated hard-working union journalists," workers said in a video explaining the 24-hr walkout. "Enough is enough." Ed. Common Dreams, 2.9.23.

After working more than 1,000 days without a contract, more than 200 unionized NBC NewsDigitalworkers on Thursday launched a 24-hour walkout to protest the media giant's ongoing "unfair labor practices," including the recent firing of 7 union journalists. Members of NBC News Guild—including reporters, editors, producers, & other staffers at NBC News, MSNBC, & "Today" Digital—walked off the job Thursday morning, with some rallying outside NBC's Midtown Manhattan headquarters to protest the layoffs & not having a contract since the union's founding in 2019.

In a statement issued Wednesday, NBC News Guild, which is part of the NewsGuild-CWA of New York, explained that last month NBC "illegally laid off 7 bargaining unit members & informed others that they were no longer members of the union." "This of course violates federal law," the statement continued. "We've written about how a company cannot lay off workers prior to a first contract being settled. And of course, NBC is familiar with this precedent because they illegally cut salaries without bargaining in 2020."

— NBC Guild (@NBC Guild) 1675948996
The union has filed six separate National Labor Relations Board complaints alleging unfair labor practices. In 2021, the NLRB ruled in favor of NewsGuild New York, finding that NBCimproperly rolled back wage increases it had previously given NBC News Digital employees.

In response to the walkout, an NBC News spokesperson said that "we are disappointed by the NewsGuild's continued attempts to misrepresent the facts while we work in good faith with them to reach an agreement." In a video posted Thursday on social media explaining why they planned to walk off the job, an NBC Guild worker explained that "NBC News started off the 3rd year of bargaining our first contract by illegally laying off 7 union journalists & stripping another team of union protections." "When we first organized this union to have a say in the workplace policies that affect us, Trump was still president. No one had heard of Covid-19. Since then, we've covered an insurrection, a pandemic, a war in Ukraine, election after election, & everything else that's happened over the last 2 years, all without a contract," the video continued with numerous union members taking turns speaking.

u201cWe sent a letter to @cesarconde_, @CatherineKimNY, @janelleNBC and @libbyleist this morning demanding they reinstate our colleagues and bargain towards a fair contract. nnWe unionized for stability in a precarious industry, and we're not settling for scraps.u201d
— NBC Guild (@NBC Guild) 1675867543

The workers noted: We've won awards, Emmys, Webbys, & Peabodys, shattered viewership records, & launched a massively successful streaming channel, but we've done that work without the critical union protections that we organized to secure. Management has delayed & delayed & delayed. They've denied us important information, violated federal labor law, & operated in bad faith, all while increasing profits & lauding our accomplishments.
"We deserve a national news outlet that prioritizes employee safety over corporate profits," the union members asserted. "We deserve an outlet that treats staff equitably & better represents the communities we cover. We demand a contract that secures fair pay, just cause, guaranteed benefits, & enforceable health & safety standards for the journalists of NBC News Digital."

"NBC News, stop union-busting," the workers implored. "Stop delaying us. Negotiate a fair contract that respects union journalists who make this newsroom what it is."...https://www.commondreams.org/news/nbc-union-busting