National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians

Last updated
National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians
Type Incentive Corporation Limited
Industry labor union
Founded1934
United States
Founder Communications Workers of America
Headquarters United States
ProductsTelevision
Radio
Film
Media Production
Parent Communications Workers of America
Website NABET official website

The National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET-CWA) is a labor union representing employees in television, radio, film, and media production. A division of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), NABET represents about 12,000 workers organized into about 35 local unions ("locals").

Contents

The union was first organized in 1934 as the Association of Technical Employees (ATE), at first covering employees involved in network television and radio; the union was created by NBC as a way to prevent its own workers from joining the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. [1] The ATE would soon expand to other radio networks, and by 1937, ATE also included independent radio and television stations. In 1939 the ATE achieved a union shop clause.

The union's name changed to NABET in 1940 and was affiliated with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in 1951. In 1952 Canadian radio, television and film workers were entered into the NABET fold. In 1965, NABET expanded to include workers in the film industry.

In 1968, Canadian NABET locals achieved local autonomy followed in 1974 by full autonomy. These locals are affiliated with Unifor.

In 1994, NABET merged with the CWA and changed its name to NABET-CWA.

In 2021, NABET-CWA helped organize two units of tech and digital workers in NPR's Digital Media, Communications, and Audience Growth divisions as a part of the Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) initiative to organize tech workers in the US and Canada. [2] [3]

Its current officers are Sector President Charles G. Braico and Sector Vice President Lou Marinaro, both elected on June 6, 2015.


September 22nd 2022 NABET-CWA put Chicago based NABET 41 a local chapter union into trusteeship. 7 union members of NABET Local 41 including elected NABET Local 41 President Raza Siddiqui, elected NABET Local 41 Vice President Marcus Crosby and NABET 41 Secretary Anna Bassett took the parent union and the NABET-CWA Parent union President Charles Braico, NABeT-CWA Vice President Lou Marinaro along with their appointed Trustee Ed McEwan to federal court in the Northern District of Illinois. They alleged that the Trusteeship was made in “Bad Faith”.

The lawsuit indicated the parent union NABET-CWA was working with former local officers who had lost their bid for re-election but whom the parent union had supported and campaigned for including former Local 41 President Chris Willadsen and former Local 41 Treasurer Patrick Keating. The Plantiffs who fought on behalf of members of the local alleged the trusteeship was designed to over throw the Will of those local 41 members who had voted overwhelmingly for change. The lawsuit claimed that the parent union and its leaders were looking to return control to the former local officers who had lost the election.

Through the lawsuit it became public that threats were made towards the newly elected officers. A news article referenced police reports that were made. [4]

The lawsuit was successful in getting an injunction against NABeT-CWA on Dec 9th 2022 after the judge found “[t]he lack of even a single valid ground for imposing the trusteeship demonstrates bad faith and the fact that the Sector saw fit to assert so many invalid grounds confirms the point. Accordingly, at this juncture, Plaintiffs have demonstrated by clear and convincing proof that the trusteeship was not established in good faith and is therefore invalid.” [5] . This put a stay on the trusteeship and returned the local officers to their elected positions.

The judge also concluded that “the Local under Siddiqui’s leadership was justified in requiring documentation from [former local 41 President] Willadsen before paying him some $56,000” [6]

[7]


The Local 41 based Plaintiffs were able to prevail 8 months later when the preliminary injunction converted into a permanent injunction on 8/30/2023. As part of the consent judgement NABET-CWA agreed to payLocal 41 $26,620.80. [8]

The Local 41 Plaintiffs were represented by attorneys from the firm Asher, Gittler and D’Alba and the Parent union NABET-CWA was represented by both Josh File from Katz Friedman and NABET General Counsel Judi Chartier [9]


Siddiqui et al v. NABET-CWA, AFL-CIO, CLC et al, No. 1:2022cv05732 - Document 40 (N.D. Ill. 2022) :: Justia

[10]

[11]

And

Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, LABOR—UNIONS, UNION MEMBERS—N.D. Ill.: Court permanently enjoins trusteeship imposed on NABET-CWA local, awards costs, (Sept. 13, 2023) Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up Click to open document in a browser By Jason Albright, J.D.

[12]




See also

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References

  1. ↑ The Tamimient Library: "Guide to the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET-CWA) Records WAG 197"
  2. ↑ "We, the rank and file employees of NPR's Digital Media Division (Content Operations, Design, Engineering, Online Support, and Product Management), are proud to announce we are joining our broadcast colleagues in NABET-CWA Local 31". Twitter. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  3. ↑ "We are excited to share that as of today, we have been voluntarily recognized!!!". Twitter. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  4. ↑ Deadlinedeadline.comJudge Issues Temporary Restraining Order Lifting “Invalid” Trusteeship Of NABET-CWA ... (https://deadline.com/2022/12/judge-temporary-restraining-order-lifting-trusteeship-nabet-cwa-local-41-chicago-1235193853/amp/)
  5. ↑ https://dockets.justia.com/docket/illinois/ilndce/1:
  6. ↑ https://deadline.com/2022/12/judge-temporary-restraining-order-lifting-trusteeship-nabet-cwa-local-41-chicago-1235193853/
  7. ↑ https://today.westlaw.com/Document/Ifed54105774911ed8636e1a02dc72ff6/View/FullText.html?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)
  8. ↑ https://www.law360.com/employment-authority/amp/articles/1716998
  9. ↑ https://today.westlaw.com/Document/Ifed54105774911ed8636e1a02dc72ff6/View/FullText.html?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)
  10. ↑ (https://today.westlaw.com/Document/Ifed54105774911ed8636e1a02dc72ff6/View/FullText.html?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default))
  11. ↑ https://www.law360.com/employment-authority/amp/articles/1716998
  12. ↑ https://dockets.justia.com/docket/illinois/ilndce/1:
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