News Writers Vote to Strike CBS

Union aims to kick start negotiations
By Peter Fearon,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 20, 2007 4:19 AM CST
News Writers Vote to Strike CBS
Screen Actors Guild (SAG) member Felicity Huffman joins members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and others on the picket line in front of Universal Studios and Universal City theme park in Universal City, Calif.(AP Photo/Reed Saxon)   (Associated Press)

Some 500 CBS News writers and other staffers are threatening to join Hollywood writers on the picket line. News writers, graphic artists, researchers and other network  employees who are members of the Writers Guild of America have voted by a huge majority to authorize a strike against the company, the union announced yesterday. WGA news employees have been working without a contract since 2005 and without raises since 2004.

The union rejected CBS's last offer by 99% a year ago; the two sides last met in January. A strike would affect CBS operations in New York, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles; all-news radio stations would be hardest hit. "CBS Evening News With Katie Couric" would also be affected. Couric, who does not belong to the WGA, would be allowed to continue editing her copy, but not to fill in for striking writers. (More Writers Guild of America stories.)

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