‘Turn off Channel 5’ message hits TV, radio

As profits soar, Gannett demands outsourcing of IBEW 4’s work

Talk about gall!

As IBEW Local 4 launches a new television and radio commercial to broaden their communications effort alerting the public to Channel 5 wanting to break their contract and outsource their jobs, the station’s owner just announced new record profits.

KSDK-TV Channel 5 owner Gannett recently reported an increase of 19.6 percent in its same station broadcast revenue for the first quarter of this year compared to 2013. Their broadcasting revenues alone totaled $382.3 million in the first quarter, an increase of 99.5 percent over last year.

“When you consider that IBEW Local 4’s members cut their wages by 10 percent in 2009, took a wage freeze in 2011, and also took unpaid furlough days because the company told us it was in financial trouble – that Gannett is continuing to demand that IBEW members now sacrifice their jobs is outrageous,” said Local 5 Business Manager Mike Pendergast.

TURN OFF CHANNEL 5

“There’s only one way to make Channel 5 understand that trying to destroy middle class union jobs is not acceptable, and that is to turn off Channel 5, which in turn will impact their revenues,” he added.

In both TV and radio ads, playing off of Channel 5’s news motto: “Channel 5 is on your side,” the union notes: “How can Channel 5 be on the side of anyone, if they are not on the side of their own middle class workers?”

The union adds: “This is the same corporate greed hurting middle class workers across this nation and it must stop.”

Local 4’s contract expired last year and since then, Gannett has refused to sit down and negotiate issues. Local 4’s members are the people behind the scenes working as technicians, photographers, edits and broadcast maintenance engineers.

“Gannett wanting to outsource our members’ work at any time to anyone is part of the national corporate effort to destroy the middle class, increase their profits and enrich the owners, the wealthiest 1 percent we hear so much about,” Pendergast said.

HOW TO HELP

Besides turning off Channel 5, Local 4 is urging everyone to contact the station’s general manager Marv Danielski to let him know you are turning off his station until he stops this scab effort and returns to the bargaining table.

Here’s how you can reach him:

• Call: (office) 314-444-5271; (cell) 314-452-6471.

• Email: mdanielski@ksdk.com

• Write: Marv Danielski, Station Manager, KSDK-TV, 1000 Market Street, St. Louis, MO, 63101.