NEW YORK — Writer-producers at FOX Television Stations flagship WNYW-5 in New York, led by Jack Abernethy on an executive level and SVP/GM Lew Leone on the local level, has unanimously ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE).
The 52-member bargaining unit approved a four-year contract, which includes such benefits as minimum annual salary increases of 3% in the first year of the contract, and 2% increases in each of the following three years.
The new deal also includes a fully-funded pension for all current and future employees.
Meanwhile, News Associates will receive salary increases of between 26% to 36% in the first year of the contract, and a $1 per-hour increase in the show producer/line producer fee was ratified.
The WNYW-TV Bargaining Committee, in a statement released Tuesday, said, “We are proud of the agreement we reached with management at WNYW to provide members with well-deserved economic gains and secure our retirement. It was a hard fought win to get the station to make the contributions necessary to fund our pensions, but by standing together we made sure that our contract continued to provide that essential benefit for all. Congratulations to everyone.”
Lowell Peterson, Executive Director of the Writers Guild of America, East, added, “WGAE members at WNYW-TV fought hard to ensure that they received fair annual pay increases, and that their Guild pension benefits remained intact for themselves and future members of the union. This new four-year agreement is a tremendous victory, and a testament to the strength and solidarity of this bargaining unit.”
