It is with very deep regret that we inform our Brothers and Sisters of the passing of Brother Ben Taussig. Ben was a proud member of Local 1212 for 52 years, Executive Board Member, ABM and a vital part of many negotiations. His loyalty to IBEW Local 1212 is surpassed by none.
The news you’ve all been waiting for is here, but before we get to that information please join us for Mass prior to the parade. Details are in the flyer below:
For those not attending the Mass you can meet at the local office (225 West 34th Street – Suite 1120 New York, NY 10122) at 11am. Grab a T-shirt and coffee and let’s represent our local proudly. Please feel free to contact the office during business hours for additional questions: (212) 354-6770
And if you just want to meet at the parade you can find us here:
We are looking for eager members who are looking to help coordinate the upcoming Labor Day Parade on behalf of Local 1212. This does entail monthly meetings to help better prepare the coordinators. You will be working with a fellow Executive board member Richard Ross from WADO. If you are interested, please contact the office (212) 354-6770 for more information.
As some of you may know a few of us are planning a get together in NY City to bid farewell to our departed friend, Mike O’Rourke. A photo is attached to this post in his honor, as well as the date and time of us sharing stories and rejoicing in Mike’s memory.
We hope many members come to share and celebrate his life.
Peter Chalverus
Field Technical Producer
Fox Sports
We have now completed two sessions of negotiations with Fox Sports, with the most recent taking place during Daytona. During this last round, the company presented a group of detailed proposals for the committee’s consideration. Some of the proposals focused on time keeping procedures for the work day, such as; quarter hour rounding for out-times; restructuring the accounting for travel-only days where only actual hours worked count towards the work week; and only counting actual hours worked towards the work week. The company also proposed a reduction of the daily per diem.
Most of the company’s proposals can have adverse monetary effects on the membership, and is not a surprise considering 21st Century Fox’s recent economic struggles. For that reason, it was not good timing to have economic discussions. As a company, they are attempting a restructure to cut over $250 million from their operating budget. And while it seems to be the Filmed Entertainment division that is struggling the most, losing 34 million dollars in the last quarter, the entire company, including the Television division, is being forced to contribute to the cuts.
We have engaged in spirited debate with Fox Sports on many of our proposals relating to, job security, cancellation policies, call times, enhanced training, and formation of a safety committee, seniority proposals, the Flex Plan, and relief staffing. We also have additional proposals such as upgrades for handhelds and fiber technicians, which is still on the table.
Our next bargaining session is scheduled for the last week of March, and your IBEW bargaining committee will continue the process negotiating the best deal possible for our membership. The current CBA expires on July 31, 2016, and we remain optimistic on being able to finish before then. As this process continues, we will keep you updated as to the status. If you have any questions, please contact your local business manager or the broadcast department.
The Union Dues link has been updated. Please note that this information has already been mailed and updated a few months eariler, this is just an update for the webpage.
