Rhode Island and Southeast Massachusetts workers at local news station ABC6 are launching union organizing efforts, according to two employees with the unit’s organizing committee. The workers, who want to join the Communications Workers of America’s broadcast arm, The National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET), say they are calling for a union because of their concerns about understaffing, low and unequal wages, and outdated equipment.
They also say their leadership may be empowering amateur community members to replace the jobs of their photographers in exchange for gift cards.
On Friday would-be union members presented their leadership with a petition explaining their reasons for desiring to form a union, and, simultaneously, filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board. Their election is likely to be scheduled for 24-25 days from today. Organizers say they received at least 70% of support among eligible members, which is the minimum required by CWA-NABET to start a public union campaign.
ABC6 management did not respond to a request for comment before the deadline for this story.
Kelly Bates, who’s been with the station as an on-air meteorologist and science reporter for about 18 months, is one of the members of the organizing committee. The 51-year-old has 28 years of experience in the industry, is a two-time Emmy nominee, and has been named best female meteorologist in Rhode Island Monthly nine times. Yet, she says, she struggles to afford basic expenses on her $55,000 annual salary. She says the last time she made that little money was in 1995.
“Our two kids are in college. So when they’re not home we have peanut butter and jelly. When they are home, then we have to shift some things around to put money into the actual food budget,” Bates said in an interview.
She said she and her husband get behind on bills and other payments. Anything that’s not directly contributing to the roof over their head, usually gets paid late.
“We had a car repair come up. It put us so far behind we had to ask my mother-in-law to help out and, and as someone who’s in their fifties, come on, it shouldn’t be like this,” said Bates.
Co-organizer Audrey Hammond said she made $46,105 last year for her job as an editor on the 2 a.m. to 11 a.m. shift. She said she made that much because she worked through lunch most days in order to earn overtime.
“My ass is kicked by rent and loans every month,” she said, adding that she shares her apartment with three roommates.
Hammond, who is 24, also said the equipment she uses at the station is older and functions poorly, which keeps reporter stories from looking polished. Staff members are shooting and broadcasting in a standard definition that was becoming outmoded by 2007.
“There have been promises for newer equipment, there have been promises for raises and new staff. But a promise is only as good as it is kept, and words are not going to help our ratings in the market,” said Hammond. “The level of work that is being asked is near impossible with the tools that we’re working with. We want to compete with [channels]10 and 12 on the same level that they are.”
Hammond is also concerned about their staffing levels. ABC6 only has four staff photographers, she said.
Hammond and Bates say photographer positions are further threatened by a mobile app the station is promoting “relentlessly” called Now Local News App. Community members can sign up through the app, view information about news “assignments” in their area, and submit photos that the station can use in its news coverage. Users then earn points, which they can redeem for gift cards.
Hammond and Bates say users generally produce photos of “sunrise pictures or dogs playing in snow… dogs in cute little costumes,” but on some occasions the news topics are more serious and could result in community members ending up in unsafe or potentially unethical situations.
“It becomes an issue when we put out assignments that are used in the show, but they’re assignments for house fires. They ask people to go to the fire, which if incentivized by money, is sort of a dangerous game,” said Hammond. “Having your average citizen go into a potentially dangerous situation, I mean, where is the line drawn?”
The app was developed by Standard Media Group, which owns ABC6 and other local news stations around the country.
The organizers say Standard Media Group’s parent company, the hedge fund Standard General, is less concerned with news.
“What they’re focused on is selling ads and selling our new app,” said Hammond.
The committee says the unionizing effort began more than a year ago, but the company has cycled through so many employees in that time that it has been difficult to organize the workplace. Efforts went on hiatus for months and started back up in earnest in November.
“We’re confident,” Bates said of the union’s chances. “The thing about us is that we’re relentlessly positive.”