RE: Stop Union Busting at KQED (fwd)

[Noelle <noelle>]

 > From: John Boland <http://www.KQED.org/~jboland>
 > To: "http://dummy.us.eu.org/noelleg"; <http://dummy.us.eu.org/noelleg>
 > CC: Stacy Campbell <http://www.KQED.org/~scampbell>
 > 
 > Dear  Ms ,
 > 
 > First, thank you for your support of KQED and for writing to express
 > your concern.  I also received the email that you sent via my
 > colleague Stacy Campbell.  I regret that you have heard some
 > inaccurate propaganda about the state of labor relations at KQED.
 > 
 > Before addressing our union negotiations, I want you to know that you
 > should still be able to receive channel 54 at your home in where-I-live.
 > We did not sell or take the station off the air.  Rather, channel 54
 > now shares the same transmitter as channel 9 and both are broadcast
 > throughout the Bay Area.  Someone from our technical team will be
 > happy to help you restore reception by rescanning the channels on
 > your TV or adjusting your antenna.  Stacy Campbell can connect you
 > with the right person.
 > 
 > I can personally assure you that KQED respects and values our union
 > employees and we are not union busting.  In fact, from the start of
 > negotiations more than a year ago KQED management has made a public
 > commitment that none of our proposals would reduce regular union
 > staff, would not reduce union wages and would not reduce union
 > benefits.  And we stand by that promise.
 > 
 > We continue our long tradition of TV and radio broadcasting and have
 > added mobile, social and other online media services.  We have not
 > diverted resources from TV or radio for internet services but rather
 > have increased our budget, raised additional funds and expanded our
 > services to the community.  So, what?s the problem?  We are in a
 > period of revolutionary change as people use new media in new and
 > different ways.  KQED is committed to meeting the changing needs of
 > the people of the Bay Area.  Our goal in updating the contract is to
 > go forward with an agreement that provides for the effective
 > operation of KQED in a dramatically transformed media environment.
 > Many of the situations we encounter now were never anticipated in the
 > language of our labor contract and this has resulted in confusion and
 > disputes.  Negotiations have been frustrating for all concerned, but
 > the issues are quite complex and often technical ? and change
 > isn?t easy.  We have been very transparent about the changes
 > we?ve proposed.  Go tokqednegotiations.com<
 > http://kqednegotiations.com ,http://kqednegotiations.com, > for
 > complete info.
 > 
 > We definitely disagree with NABET?s characterization of our
 > proposals.  ?Union busting refers to activities undertaken by
 > employers, their proxies, and governments to prevent workers from
 > freely organizing, joining and maintaining trade unions.? Nothing
 > we have proposed fits the definition, and their continued use of this
 > inflammatory term is counterproductive.
 > 
 > KQED management is committed to remaining at the table until we reach
 > an agreement that is both a good deal for our union staff and serves
 > the 21st century needs of the people of the Bay Area.
 > 
 > Thank  you  again  for  your  interest  in  KQED.
 > 
 > John  Boland
 > President
 > KQED