NLRB Issues New Complaints Against NBC

Region 2 of the National Labor Relations Board issued a new unfair labor practice complaint against NBC Universal this week over the issue of "content producers." The complaint cites NBC for its refusal to bargain, requires NBC to respond by Dec. 18 and has set a trial date in New York before an administrative law judge for Feb. 20, 2014.

NBC had created the job title of "content producer" five years ago and unilaterally changed the wages, benefits and working conditions for about 100 newswriters, editors, and photographers at owned-and- operated TV stations in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

NABET-CWA charged that this move violated federal labor law and an NLRB regional director agreed in 2011. That decision was upheld by a three-member NLRB panel in September 2013, with NBC required to restore the wages, benefits and bargaining rights that these workers lost.

NABET-CWA called for immediate negotiations on behalf of the content producers, but NBC has refused to meet. NLRB Region 2 acted on a new unfair labor practice charge filed by NABET-CWA in late October.

These developments illustrate that the NLRB regions are functioning more fully since a five member Board was restored and a confirmed NLRB General Counsel was put into place.

"With a full NLRB in place overseeing regional activity, workers have a path to justice. This complaint was issued in just six weeks. We are confident that our members who had careers and lives disrupted by NBC's unlawful actions will soon get the justice that they deserve," said NABET-CWA President Jim Joyce.