WHO ARE WE?
We are the 
broadcast engineers, represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Union Number 715, who are currently employed at Journal Broadcast Group’s WTMJ-TV, WTMJ-DT, WTMJ-AM and WLWK-FM (formerly WKTI-FM) stations. When negotiations began, there were 46 of us.
We are the backbone of this company, working behind the scenes, operating and maintaining the electronic equipment used to deliver the news and keep these stations on the air 24 hours/day, 7 days/week.
WHAT IS OUR ISSUE?Journal Communications has implemented the terms of their final contract offer, even though they have once again unlawfully declared impasse in contract negotiations with us in an effort to reduce our workforce, drive down wages, and eliminate seniority. We had been working under the status quo conditions of an expired contract agreement since March 2008 with no pay raise since March 2007, and have been in negotiations to reach a fair agreement since January 2008 with only the employer’s attorney and their HR representatives.
WHAT IS OUR POSITION?We want to protect our jobs, protect our workers, and protect our competitive wages in this marketplace. We offer a level of quality and expertise that cannot be matched outside our unit and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
WHAT IS THEIR POSITION?
They claim they have a “moral responsibility to [their] stockholders” to lower their operating expenses, which they compare to their properties in smaller markets like Las Vegas and Green Bay.
They have threatened, in part, to:
- Reduce our unit size by nearly 50%.
- Shift our exclusive jurisdiction to cheaper employees.
- Merge or eliminate our other work functions.
- Reduce our wages and pay scales in phases by 2010.
- Nearly eliminate the role of seniority.
We believe they have no interest in reaching a fair agreement with us, and that their goal is to undermine our position by using union busting tactics:
- The employer chose to divert money into a high-priced, white shoe lawyer instead of investing in their employees who work hard to keep their product on the air.
- They are continuing to stereotype us as “stuck in the old days” and unwilling to change. (In fact, we continually adapt to many technological changes in this industry. In negotiations we have proposed significant movement in many areas of our contract while remaining adamant on protecting our current engineers’ jobs and fair wages.)
- They were bargaining in bad faith by engaging in surface bargaining, not changing their position on drastic changes to our contract, and threatening to declare impasse prematurely.
- They are willing to sacrifice the quality of the product to achieve their "business objectives".
- They are aiming to cut the honest wages of the hard working employees in favor of corporate greed.
- They are demonstrating a complete disregard to our quality of life through workforce mandates.
- After informing us at the bargaining table of their need to drastically reduce our staff, the employer had posted this job opportunity for all of their TV stations including Milwaukee.
- On 5/23/08, and without warning, the employer involuntarily merged IATSE Production Specialists with IBEW Engineers as an effort to "create new efficiencies" in the workforce. IATSE Production Specialists have an independent and signed agreement with the employer through September 2010.
- On 6/20/08, the employer declared an impasse when no such impasse existed. We requested to schedule another negotiation session and the employer refused.
- On 8/1/08, the news director announced the splitting of the Engineering department, with nearly half of the Engineers being reclassified as "News Production Specialists" and merged with all IATSE represented employees. IBEW Engineers are scheduled to cross-train and required to perform the exclusive job functions under the IATSE agreement, and vice versa.
- Our work had been assigned to IATSE Production Specialists and outside contractors on a regular basis.
- The Milwaukee office of the National Labor Relations Board has found evidence that Journal Broadcasting Groups WTMJ-TV violated federal labor law.
- The Employer continues to violate provisions in their Settlement Agreement with the NLRB forcing us to file additional charges.
- All employees' retirement savings plans have been frozen, and most employees were forced to take a 6% wage cut. (The Business Journal)
- On 8/10/09, the Employer issued their last and final offer.
- On 9/21/09, the Employer once again declared impasse when no such impasse existed and implemented the terms of their final offer.
WHAT ARE SOME FACTS?
- The IBEW has successfully negotiated contract agreements with WTMJ for more than 70 years.
- No managers or supervisors with working knowledge of our operations have joined us in negotiations for this contract.
- Most of the senior engineers are long-time stockholders.
- More revenue is generated through their Milwaukee operations than any of their other properties.
- In 2007, Journal Communications CEO Steve Smith received a 10% raise in base pay alone, totaling more than $1.18M in total compensation, when the stock price fell nearly 30%.
- In February 2008, Steve Smith was awarded 342,000 shares of JRN stock.
- In 2008, Journal Communications posted a $224.4 million loss while Steve Smith's total compensation increased almost 22%. JRN stock price fell 72.6% during 2008.
- WTMJ Director of Engineering, Kent Aschenbrenner, resigned after more than 30 years of service with the company. He took a job as an IBEW Local 715 Union engineer at another television station in Milwaukee.
- Immediately after the Employer announced they were implementing their final contract offer, it was announced that Vice Chairman and CEO of Journal Broadcast Group, Doug Kiel, would be retiring at the end of the 2009 fiscal year.
- No full-time Engineers have been hired since 2000 when there were 43 full-time Engineers on staff. - Now there are only 30 full-time Engineers.
Our goal is for our Employer to immediately discontinue their unilateral changes to our employment, and for our managers to join us in negotiations so we can work together to reach a fair agreement, amicably.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
You can contact the executives and appropriate managers at Journal Broadcast Group and tell them what you think, including that you support the IBEW. Please click here for contact information.
More importantly, you can spread the word by telling people to visit us at www.whytrusttmj4.com.
Thank you for your interest and your support.
