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IBEW Reaches Tentative Agreement with Fox Sports

 

March 5, 2012

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From the high-octane power of NASCAR races to record moments in the NFL and Major League Baseball, IBEW freelance photographers and technicians bring the white-knuckled action to millions of Fox Sports viewers nationwide. And a new agreement with the network indicates they will continue to for at least the next four years.


Representatives of the 1,200-strong crew reached a tentative agreement with Fox Sports Feb. 17. The members earned 8 percent wage increases, higher per diem allotments, a 24 percent increase in travel payments, additional medical benefits, boosted pension contributions and added job security over the life of the prospective contract, which would expire July 31, 2016.

Members will vote whether or not to ratify the contract via ballots that were mailed out last month. The voting deadline is Friday, March 30.

IBEW leaders say the negotiations, which were held five months early, were amicable. Said Martha Pultar, Director of Broadcasting and Telecommunications:

It was a pleasure to negotiate with a company that wasn’t at the table to take advantage of the recent economic downturn. Fox Sports values the professionalism of the IBEW freelancers whom they employ, and they were very clear about that during bargaining.

Other wins for the workers include international travel provisions when covering events in England and during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the most eagerly anticipated sporting event across the globe.

TV viewers will see the members’ skills on display during high-profile events like this year’s World Series, the Daytona 500 and the 2013 Super Bowl. Last year’s Super Bowl was the most-watched television program in U.S. history with about 111 million viewers.

The Fox employees covered by the Fox contract are members of St. Louis Local 4; Hollywood, Calif., Local 45; Washington Local 1200; New York Local 1212; and Chicago Local 1220. They provide photography, graphics, audio, video and editing services and perform other utility duties. Their current contract expires July 31.

Said International President Edwin D. Hill:

Fox Sports broadcasts excellent work from athletes on the field and behind the wheel, and it’s heartening to know that the company sees similar skills in our IBEW work force. Our members will continue to benefit from this trusted partnership for years to come.

Look for more on this story in the May issue of The Electrical Worker.