NBC UNION WORKERS TURN DOWN CONTRACT
NBC union workers three years without contract or raise from GE/Comcast In 2009 and 2010
On Friday, August 26, 2011, NBC Union technical employees and daily hires overwhelmingly rejected the contract offered by NBC. In Chicago, NABET-CWA Local 41 President and Negotiator Charles Braico stated, “The members have sent a very loud and clear message that they deserve better than the conditions contained in NBC's most recent offer, and they did not have to look far to see that the Company has the resources to provide meaningful economic improvements, as well as provide for continued meaningful employment opportunities for staff and daily hire workers across the country. NBC Universal just posted second quarter revenue increases of 18.5%.”
In 2009 and 2010, GE 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.[1] Comcast, in 2010, posted a net profit of $943 million.[2]
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. In August, 2011, GE announced they will be sharing their jet engine technology with China and partnering with AVIC (a Chinese company) to build jets in China, investing hundreds of millions of dollars in China and creating hundreds of jobs there.[3] 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 (51% owned by Comcast and 49% by GE) posted a fourth quarter increase in profits of 38%, with overall profits for 2010 of $2.26 billion.[5]
In their recent contract offer, NBC wanted to give NBC union workers a paltry 2% raise (81 cents per hour average[6]) after no raise for three years; somehow, the profits of the companies, earned by its employees, are not being shared well with its employees. NBC also wanted 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] 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
[2] http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/03/us-comcast-idUSTRE7426W220110503
[3] http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/ge-all-in-on-aviation-deal-with-china/2011/07/17/gIQAgPmTXJ_story.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/business/global/18plane.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
[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
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