O'Malley to #FITN2016 Candidates: Stop Running WMUR Ads

MANCHESTER, NH - Former Gov. Martin O’Malley, D-MD, has drawn a line in the sand with the Hearst Corporation’s WMUR-TV, the most watched television station in New Hampshire, in its labor dispute with IBEW Local 1228.

After meeting with Jeff Bartlett, the general manager of WMUR today, O’Malley for President campaign manager, Dave Hamrick, the campaign is calling on candidates to drop their advertising and possibly have the station dropped from its debate sponsorship role.

“Throughout his career, Gov. O’Malley has been a strong champion of organized labor and he stands in solidarity with the workers of Local 1228,” said New Hampshire State Director John Bivona. “While it is our hope that management and workers reach a fair and equitable settlement to this dispute before the debate on Dec. 19, it is becoming more apparent that WMUR management does not intend to honor their commitment to negotiate with workers prior to the debate.”

At issue is a proposal by the station, according to union members, to remove 11 employees from the company’s pension plan, according to posts online.

Bivona said that the campaign would be calling on all Democrats running for president to “cease advertising on WMUR Channel 9 and Hearst stations until management begins negotiations with employees,” according to a press statement. The campaign also wants the station to stop airing any other previously recorded footage of the candidate including the “Candidate Cafe” segment and other political programming that O’Malley is featured in until the station restarts negotiations with employees. Bivona is also calling for a conference call between DNC and NHDP to discuss dropping WMUR-TV as a debate sponsor.

“Voters of New Hampshire should not be penalized for WMUR management breaking their commitment to their workers,” Bivona said.