* * * * * For Immediate Release * * * * *
CWA/NABET NEEDS FAIR CONTRACT
NBC union workers three years without contract or raise from GE/Comcast
In 2009 and 2010, GE[1] posted record profits in their shareholder reports, yet GE not only paid no taxes to the US government, they got a $1.8 billion tax benefit in 2009 on $10.8 billion in profits and a $3.2 billion tax benefit in 2010 after posting $14.2 billion in profits. US taxpayers, including union workers, GAVE GE $5 billion in tax benefits over the last two years.[2] Comcast, in 2010, posted a net profit of $943 million.[3]
In January, 2010, President Obama appointed Jeffrey Immelt, GE’s CEO, to be chairman of the new Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, for the sole purpose of helping to create new jobs in the US. As GE’s CEO, Immelt recently announced he is moving GE’s 115-year-old x-ray business from Wisconsin to China, creating jobs in China and investing $2 billion there. Clearly, Immelt missed the point of Obama’s initiative.[4] In addition, NBC/Universal has eliminated almost 70% of staff positions, filling them with “daily hires:” people who work the same job for years but without the benefits of a full-time employee.
NBC/Universal posted a fourth quarter increase in profits of 38%, with overall profits for 2010 of $2.26 billion.[5]
Now, they want to give NBC union workers a token raise (81 cents per hour average[6]) after no raise for three years; somehow, the profits of the companies earned by its employees, is not being shared well with its employees. NBC/Uni also wants to make it take up to 10 years to get to the top pay scale, instead of the current 4 years.
In addition, NBC wants to make it so seniority is nearly irrelevant, by being able to pick and choose who they want to keep, should they need to lay off union workers at some future date.
[1] Comcast owns 51% of NBC/Universal, and GE owns 49%.
[2] http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/01/ge-exxon-walmart-business-washington-corporate-taxes.html
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/general-electric-paid-federal-taxes-2010/story?id=13224558
[3] http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/03/us-comcast-idUSTRE7426W220110503
[4] http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/27/ge-moving-x-ray-business-to-china-what-message-is-sent-to-u-s/
[5] http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nbc-universal-fourth-quarter-profit-74376
[6] Group 5 rate
Tags: