IBEW LU 3 Fights to maintain union conditions at Convention

http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/23890.htm




CNN FIGHTS UNION OVER CONVENTION
By DON KAPLAN

May 10, 2004 -- EXCLUSIVE

A union battle is brewing with the all-news cable channel over the Republican National Convention later this summer at Madison Square Garden.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) is so far refusing to allow CNN and Fox News Network techniciains to install the miles of electrical cables needed to broadcast the convention to millions of viewers.

Both channels are non-union operations.

The electrician's union says it won't allow non-union technicians to work at the Garden since the venue has been heavily unionized for years.

"This is a union town, these are union jobs, this is going to be a union convention," says Brian McLaughlin, president of the New York City Central Labor Council.

Further complicating matters is that CNN has been designated to manage the "pool" - a video/audio feed that provides all the nets with continuous coverage of the goings on at the convention podium.

"It's just the luck of the draw that it was CNN's turn," a network source said.

The talks are going much more smoothly for the three major networks, which have been negotiating with the union as a team, insiders say. The major broadcast networks are unionized.

"It's no more contentious than it's been in the past," a source told The Post.

But the talks with CNN have been rough, according to sources close to the talk - and they could get worse.

Late last year, the Atlanta-based news network drew the wrath of the union when it terminated a contract with a unionized subcontractor that provided technicians at CNN's New York and Washington bureaus.

CNN then hired about half the workers back, but refused to recognize the union.

In a memo last March - a copy if which was obtained by The Post - union leaders told members not to take jobs at CNN to cover either the GOP convention here or at the Democratic convention in Boston.

A CNN spokeswoman declined to comment.

For Fox News Channel, there appears to be a bit more wiggle room. Other Fox divisions - namely Fox Sports, have relationships with the unions and have worked sporting events at The Garden.

If FNC uses crews made up substantially of unionized sports technicians, it may be able to skirt the dispute.

Fox is a division of News Corp., which also owns The Post.