ABC Proposes Adding Some 'Junior' To Seniority System
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/16/2007 10:32:00 AM
ABC has proposed modifying the current last-in, first-out seniority policy for union employees to allow it to keep less senior employees with more of the skills they are looking for.
That came in a proposal to the National Association of Broadast Employees and Technicians (NABET).
According to an ABC source, the new proposal "accounts for tenure as well as the necessary skills and abilities, job knowledge and overall performance which have been seriously undervalued by the current last-in, first-out arrangement."
The proposal came in contract talks Thursday between the network and union negotiators.
According to a bulletin from NABET to its members, there was a "spirited discussion," about the proposal, which the union says would allow "dismissal from employment without regard or consideration for the employee's long years of loyal and productive service."
ABC, said the source, "believes employees with less seniority should not be automatically sacrificed at times of possible layoffs when they have the skills and expertise to perform the work that most needs to be done in today's increasingly competitive and technically advancing broadcast business."
The union said the proposal was a nonstarter, though NABET said it would caucus on other proposals Friday, with talks scheduled to resume Monday.
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