IBEW Photographers at WMUR-TV Terminate Contract

IBEW Local 1228, the union that represents photographers and editors at WMUR-TV, New Hampshire’s largest television station, has issued a notice to the station’s management that it was “terminating its contract” on Aug. 30.

The move, according to Fletcher Fischer, the business manager for the union, allows the workers to “legally launch a public awareness campaign and to engage in concerted actions if needed.”

According to the union, the employees have been negotiating with the station, which is owned by Hearst, for about nine months with the sticking point being a pension plan that other union and non-union employees have at the station.

“Since 2005, virtually all other Employees at WMUR have been allowed to participate in a 401K and a Pension Plan … All except for the Photographers,” Fischer said. “This is wrong and needs to finally be addressed. All we are asking for is equal treatment for the Employees that capture and deliver the news, every day.”

Fischer called the unequal treatment of employees “ridiculous,” especially when considering many of the employees “risk their physical and mental health daily to report the news including politics, tragedies, heart wrenching events and stories of hope from all over New Hampshire (and) generate the revenue Hearst enjoys from this station and deserve equal treatment in retirement benefits.”

Fischer noted that the company, which is privately held, was profitable on nearly $10 billion earnings but the 13 employees weren’t being allowed into the pension plan.

“It is unconscionable that such a wealthy corporation refuses to do the honorable thing and treat all their WMUR workers alike,” Fischer said.

WMUR-TV General Manager Jeff Bartlett was emailed by Patch for comment but had not responded at post time.