A little over 80% of the 300 guild members voted in favor of authorizing the strike.  We'll have to see where it goes from here, it seems foolish, CBS News and the other network news agencies have been declining in a big way over the past few years as people switch to cable news or the intarwebs. 


CBS News and CBS haven't been able to create a new contract setup for two years.

Seems like if the CBS News divisions go on strike, they'd be bargaining from a position of weakness.  Again, while they have significant viewership, its been dropping steadily.  The only thing they would stand a prayer on is the threat that they'd do PR damage to CBS, but I doubt they'll get anywhere if CBS holds steady, as it looks like the Hollywood producers are doing.  

The only other thing I can come up with is that the Unions hoping that the threat of not having a functioning News division during the 2008 election will scare the execs into compliance, but that well will run dry in the longterm if CBS holds firm.

These strikes by union members are never gonna get the kind of support that they once had, because most people aren't union, and most people don't sympathize with unions anymore.  Unions are weakening because most people see them as self-defeating or mindlessly greedy, willing to destroy a business rather than compromise on benefits, or are used to moving from job to job, looking for better opportunity. 

Oh, and I love this,

The union said its employees have not had a pay raise since April 2004.

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 05:35 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 282 words, total size 2 kb.