Y ou’ve been terminated or notified that your employer does not intend to renew your contract. You’re offered continued employment but only with a cut in pay. You are told you are being demoted or reassigned or might just want to retire, or that your employer will be offering buyouts. It happens to people who work in all industries, but if you work in the media industry, it can happen to you in a very public way. That extra variable adds a level of stress and anxiety to an already stressful and anxious situation. SAG-AFTRA is your union and your support system, helping you navigate these difficult career events. SAG-AFTRA staff counsels members confiden- tially with a focus on keeping employment issues out of a public forum. “Members going through difficult discussions with their employers know that they can seek help and advice from their union on what are very personal and stressful situations,” said SAG-AFTRA Vice President, Broadcasters Catherine Brown. Your SAG-AFTRA agreement likely provides for a severance package in cases of termination, and a non-renewal of your contract is considered a termination when that non-renewal is coupled with an employer giving you notice of your last day of work. SAG-AFTRA staff counsels members almost every day regarding severance packages, options for how those packages might be paid out and potential opportunities to negotiate for additional compensation. Several elements make up a termination/separation agree- ment: notice, severance pay, continued health benefits, restrictive covenants, vacation and consideration for release. The sum can be substantial. Under many SAG-AFTRA agreements, severance alone can be in the high six figures for some. Importantly, severance pay is generally not creditable against your personal service contract. If you are being asked to sign a release as a condition of receiving severance pay, call your SAG-AFTRA executive broadcast representative. BROADCAST News THE NEWSLETTER FOR SAG-AFTRA BROADCASTERS // VOL. 5 // ISSUE 1 // WINTER 2016 CONTINUES ON PAGE 3 >>> THINKSTOCK // NEWS IN BRIEF BSC TO MEET IN L.A. // The next Broadcast Steering Committee meeting will be held on Saturday, March 12, in Los Angeles. HELP SAVE KPLU // In Seattle, SAG-AFTRA members who make up KPLU’s award-winning news team and jazz and blues staff are trying to raise $7 million by June 30 to save the inde- pendent public radio station from a buyout. Visit kplu.org to learn how you can help. KFOR BARGAINING PREP // The SAG-AFTRA photojournalist unit at KFOR in Oklahoma put a new spin on negotiations preparation by combining their pre-bargaining meeting with a bowling party at the Dust Bowl. KGO-AM & KFSO REACH AGREEMENTS // Members of the San Francisco stations reached tentative agreements with Cumulus after years of bargaining and delays caused by ownership changes when ABC sold these flagship stations. SEATTLE PSC SEMINAR // On March 30, SAG-AFTRA is sponsoring a seminar on personal service contracts to be held at KIRO-TV and open to all members in the Seattle area. Chief Broadcast Officer Mary Cavallaro will provide a primer on employment contracts in the broadcast industry. MOVIE NIGHT AT NPR // The NPR bargain- ing unit was treated to a private screening of The Revenant at NPR Studio 1 on Jan. 28. The fun-filled evening was hosted by SAG-AFTRA and NPR correspondent and movie critic Bob Mondello, with special permission from Fox. Special thanks to NPR shop steward Julia Bailey and SAG Awards Supervising Producer Jon Brockett for making this event possible. 1ST AMENDMENT AWARDS // SAG-AFTRA will once again host a table in honor of the recipients of the Radio Television Digital News Foundation 2016 First Amendment Awards. The awards will be presented at a dinner hosted by ABC News Senior Correspondent Pierre Thomas at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in D.C. on March 16. RTDNF presents these awards annually to organizations or individuals who have made a significant contribution to the protection of the First Amendment and freedom of the press. “Members going through difficult discussions with their employers know that they can seek help and advice from their union on what are very personal and stressful situations.” — CATHERINE BROWN Don’t Go It Alone TERMINATIONS, NON-RENEWALS, RETIREMENTS, PAY REDUCTIONS AND BUYOUTS
Transcript
You’ve been terminated or notified that your employer does not intend to renew your contract. You’re offered continued
employment but only with a cut in pay. You are told you are being demoted or reassigned or might just want to retire, or that your employer will be offering buyouts. It happens to people who work in all industries, but if you work in the media industry, it can happen to you in a very public way. That extra variable adds a level of stress and anxiety to an already stressful and anxious situation. SAG-AFTRA is your union and your support system, helping you navigate these difficult career events.
SAG-AFTRA staff counsels members confiden-tially with a focus on keeping employment issues out of a public forum. “Members going through difficult discussions with their employers know that they can seek help and advice from their union on what are very personal and stressful situations,” said SAG-AFTRA Vice President, Broadcasters Catherine Brown.
Your SAG-AFTRA agreement likely provides for a severance package in cases of termination, and a non-renewal of your contract is considered a termination when that non-renewal is coupled with an employer giving you notice of your last day of work. SAG-AFTRA staff counsels members almost every day regarding severance packages,
options for how those packages might be paid out and potential opportunities to negotiate for additional compensation. Several elements make up a termination/separation agree-ment: notice, severance pay, continued health benefits, restrictive covenants, vacation and consideration for release. The sum can be substantial.
Under many SAG-AFTRA agreements, severance alone can be in the high six figures for some. Importantly, severance pay is generally not creditable against your personal service contract. If you are being asked to sign a release as a condition of receiving severance pay, call your SAG-AFTRA executive broadcast representative.
KGO-AM & KFSO REACH AGREEMENTS // Members of the San Francisco stations reached
tentative agreements with Cumulus after years
of bargaining and delays caused by ownership
changes when ABC sold these flagship stations.
SEATTLE PSC SEMINAR // On March 30,
SAG-AFTRA is sponsoring a seminar on
personal service contracts to be held at
KIRO-TV and open to all members in the
Seattle area. Chief Broadcast Officer Mary
Cavallaro will provide a primer on employment
contracts in the broadcast industry.
MOVIE NIGHT AT NPR // The NPR bargain-
ing unit was treated to a private screening of
The Revenant at NPR Studio 1 on Jan. 28. The
fun-filled evening was hosted by SAG-AFTRA
and NPR correspondent and movie critic
Bob Mondello, with special permission from
Fox. Special thanks to NPR shop steward Julia
Bailey and SAG Awards Supervising Producer
Jon Brockett for making this event possible.
1ST AMENDMENT AWARDS // SAG-AFTRA
will once again host a table in honor of the
recipients of the Radio Television Digital News
Foundation 2016 First Amendment Awards.
The awards will be presented at a dinner hosted
by ABC News Senior Correspondent Pierre
Thomas at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in D.C. on
March 16. RTDNF presents these awards annually
to organizations or individuals who have made a
significant contribution to the protection of the
First Amendment and freedom of the press.
“Members going through difficult discussions with their employers know that they can seek help and advice from their union on what are very personal and stressful situations.”
— CATHERINE BROWN
Don’t Go It Alone
TERMINATIONS, NON-RENEWALS, RETIREMENTS, PAY REDUCTIONS AND BUYOUTS
2
As a station shop steward, conversations with co-workers were always invited and encouraged. Among the
toughest talks were those that involved questions about work performance or critical considerations about contract changes or terminations. Every member should know that your shop steward is a great resource and that the SAG-AFTRA staff around the country is ready to answer your questions. And the conversations are confidential.
Most of what you need to know should be part of your personal services contract and in the collective bargaining agreement between the union and your company. Never hesitate to ask for explanations before signing or agreeing to contract clauses you don’t understand.
Here is also another great opportunity to interact with the union and to help shape some of the policies that impact our working lives. When these termination provisions are put on the table during contract negotiations, for example, your input is valuable. Volunteer to share your concerns and personal experiences that may help others make more informed choices.
You have more power as a union member than you may know. When you are aware of key contract provisions, you may be your own best advocate. Then, when a manager pulls out the contract to make changes or cuts, you will know where to find the answers — or who to call. And in some circumstances, you may be able to handle it on your own. I have seen that approach work for some of our members. And it worked for me.
Catherine Brown is vice president, broadcasters.
Connecting with Catherine Brown:
CAN WE TALK?
When people ask me what’s the point of belonging to a union, I always answer with the thing that is most
important to me: It is simply the right and the ability to bargain collectively over our wages and our working condi-tions. It is the leverage and the power we gain when we act as a group, when individual members come together and act as one, as a unit.
That collective action results in contracts that protect us and give us benefits. But those protections and those benefits often recede in our consciousness as we go about our daily work. If things are going well, it’s easy to ask, “Why do I really need a union?”
Then, the answer is, “You don’t need it until you need it.” If you’re about to be disciplined or about to be demoted or fired, you need the union.
You need the often-unthought-of benefit of our union staff. You have access to our amazing broadcast staff of attorneys and negotiators.
They can help you through a disciplinary procedure to assure your rights are protected. They can serve as a buffer between you and an angry manager. And, if necessary, they can try to negotiate a severance package or settlement agreement even if the company insists you are due nothing.
The bottom line is: Don’t ever try to handle this by yourself. You are paying dues to the union. In return, you get, not only the benefits of collective bargaining, but you also have the benefit of an extremely talented and dedicated staff who will fight for you.
It’s an added benefit. Use it. Joe Krebs is chair, National Broadcast Steering Committee.
A Moment with Joe Krebs:
YOU DON’T NEED IT UNTIL YOU NEED IT
While I have been repre-
senting broadcast-ers for almost 20 years, I have not earned a skin thick enough to with-stand the emotions that surround a member losing his or her job, or the events lead-ing up to that career event or, in some cases, series of events. This is an industry that is, in many ways, so rewarding for so many talented professionals and, yet, when an employer is “ready to move on,” it is unforgiving.
SAG-AFTRA staff spends countless hours
counseling members who are going through
career transition events such as a termination,
a pay reduction, a reassignment or a retire-
ment. It is perhaps the most difficult, and yet
rewarding, thing that we do. This is a very pub-
lic industry, and things that most professionals
are able to go through in private can happen in
a very public way. SAG-AFTRA representatives
are familiar with the unfortunate scenarios
that working broadcasters face every day and
can provide consultation, be an advocate with
an employer or, in some cases, simply serve as
a sounding board.
We encourage anyone going through one
of these career events to contact their local
representative to seek out information. Don’t
go it alone.
A Message From Chief Broadcast Officer Mary Cavallaro
3
That’s what happened to Chris Core, who worked for more than 30 years at a Washington, D.C.-area radio station until it was sold to a new owner. Core was let go before his contract expired, and the company deducted the remainder of his personal contract from the required severance, in violation of the contract. Core immediately contacted his union, which made sure he got the money he was owed.
“If you are fired, let SAG-AFTRA know right away,” Core said. “Be on guard to make sure your station or network lives up to contractual agreements. You cannot assume they will be fully compliant. And you cannot assume your agent, manager or lawyer is knowledgeable about the union contract. Call SAG-AFTRA. After all, that’s why you pay those dues.”
Sometimes, the employer chooses not to terminate you but wants to renew your contract at a significant reduction in your salary. This is one of the most difficult situations a broadcaster might face. You want to continue to work, you are not prepared for a job search and you may have a non-compete agreement that would require you to leave your current market in order to continue working in the industry. This scenario is one with which SAG-AFTRA staff is unfortunately very familiar. SAG-AFTRA members and their professional representatives should always consult with union staff regarding their options in these situations.
Like Core, veteran sports commentator Tim Brant faced a crisis when his station was sold to a new owner. The new employer tried to force Brant to renew his contract at a reduced rate and with fewer benefits — with no severance if he refused the offer. Brant made the
right decision by choosing to call his union first. “SAG-AFTRA not only protected my severance, but because they guided me through a very difficult process, I was able to walk away with my dignity and my money, and it was then I knew why I paid dues,” Brant said.
“The most important thing that you can do when faced with one of these employment events is to be armed with as much information and strategic advice as you can gather,” said SAG-AFTRA Chief Broadcast Officer Mary Cavallaro. “Understanding all of the moving pieces is critical: compensation, health and other benefits, and the ability to transition to another job. SAG-AFTRA staff is committed to providing members with the information they need to negotiate the best possible deal for their interests.”
When members need help, SAG-AFTRA has strong tools to ensure employers fulfill the contract provisions to which they have agreed — even if they would prefer not to.
Broadcaster David Burd discovered the power of the union in his time of need. “I worked for several years with my partner on a morning show at a very popular radio station in Washington, D.C. I wasn’t very happy about having to join the union. I never paid attention to [the union], never went to a meeting, and frankly, didn’t want to pay dues. I was wrong. When the day came that it happened to me, it was my union that came to the rescue,” Burd said.
“I was able to pay my bills, save my mortgage, and my family had health insurance for over a year until I found another job in radio. [The union has] had my back for over 28 years. Don’t tell me your dues aren’t worth it, because when it happens to you, it makes all the difference in the world.”
In Philadelphia, nearly 150 members and guests attended the Philadelphia Local SAG
Awards viewing party and were treated to a very special presentation.
Pat Ciarrocchi, a 30-plus-year veteran of CBS3, was presented with the Philadelphia Local Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes a broadcast member’s outstanding contributions. Ciarrocchi was introduced by consumer affairs reporter and shop steward Jim Donovan and her longtime producer and co-shop steward, Monica Avery.
“At the local board level, we decided it was very important to reach out and make broadcasters a part of this event, even though the focus was obviously going to be on performers. By honoring someone as well known as Pat, it really connected our freelance and broadcast members and showed that we really are one union,” Local Board Secretary and Philadelphia Broadcast Steering Committee member Sam Clover said.
PHILLY MEMBERS HONOR LEGENDARY BROADCASTER
Retired broadcaster Pat Ciarrocchi, second from left,
with her CBS3 colleagues, from left, Amanda Keith,
Monica Avery, Susan Schiller and Jim Donovan.
DON’T GO IT ALONE>>> FROM PAGE 1
M E M B E R N E W S
AL HART REMEMBEREDLegendary Bay Area broadcaster and longtime
KCBS Radio anchor Al Hart passed away in
January. During his 34-year career at KCBS, Hart
delivered the news of the day, including major
Bay Area stories such as the 1989 Loma Prieta
Earthquake and the 1991 Oakland Hills fire.
Hart eventually became an anchor at KPIX-TV.
KYW-AM SEND-OFFIn December of 2015, friends, family and co-
workers at KYW-AM (CBS) came together to
celebrate over 100 years of news radio tenure
with the retirement of SAG-AFTRA members
Vince Hill, Mike Dunn, Robin Greer and Skip
Fischer. The evening featured an audio tribute
produced by shop steward Jim Melwert, with
best wishes from current and past colleagues.
GOLDEN MIKE HONORSThe Radio & Television News Association
honored two Los Angeles broadcasters with its
anchor Lifetime Achievement Awards: Colleen
Williams (KNBC4), who has served as a journal-
ist for more than 30 years, garnering countless
awards and covering innumerable breaking
news stories, and Mike Landa, who recently
retired after 45 years on the job with KNX.
D.C. HONORSThe D.C. City Council honored Glenn Harris
for his 40 years of broadcast service and
proclaimed Feb. 2 as Glenn Harris Day. Harris,
a SAG-AFTRA member and D.C. native,
retired in December, after 25 years hosting
NewsChannel 8’s nightly Sports Talk show,
the only live nightly sports call-in show in
the D.C. area.
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BROADCAST News is published quarterly for news and broadcast members of SAG-AFTRA.
