November 19, 2019 – Operating Technicians at WABI-TV in Bangor, Maine, ratified a new 2-year contract this week with raises of 2.5% each year and a $250 signing bonus. The starting pay rate for Operating Technicians was also increased.
As part of the new agreement, the Union and WABI-TV’s owner Gray Television agreed that non-bargaining unit employees may perform covered work on an intermittent basis so long as bargaining unit members are not displaced as a result and the number of bargaining unit positions are not reduced. In addition, any time a Technician is not scheduled in Master Control they may be assigned other reasonable duties which they are capable of performing.
Changes were made in the collective bargaining agreement’s grievance and arbitration language that both sides agreed provided greater clarity to the process.
“We’re glad that we were able to reach an agreement that a majority of our members at WABI-TV felt was worthy of their support,” said IBEW 1837 Business Representative Matt Beck. “We’re grateful to our Union Steward Dianne Berry for her expertise and participation in our negotiations.”