Vowing to fight back, newsroom employees at WEEK-TV Channel 25 and WHOI-TV Channel 19 led a protest rally Friday attended by some 50 people on United Auto Workers Local 974 property, 3025 Springfield Road in East Peoria.
"We're filing charges with the National Labor Relations Board," said Garry Moore, WEEK newsman and president of the Peoria Local of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, on the day before a contract is imposed on AFTRA members.
"We're hoping that the NLRB will send both sides back to the bargaining table," he said.
Negotiations broke down earlier this year between AFTRA and Granite Broadcasting, the New York-based firm that owns WEEK and manages WHOI. AFTRA voted down a contract offer in April, citing language that would allow for the outsourcing of news and weather broadcasts.
Moore added that AFTRA hopes to meet with U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., to enlist his help in getting Granite back to the bargaining table.
Speakers at the rally included Mike Everett, president of the West Central Illinois Building Trades Council; state Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria; and Mike Matejka, a member of the Bloomington City Council.
While AFTRA Vice President Josh Simon outlined a Twitter campaign that supporters can join through the AFTRA Facebook page, Moore said there were "other cards" that AFTRA members could play but were "holding back on" pending action by station management.
"We might be forced to ask station advertisers to pull advertising, and there's the possibility of a strike or walkout. The company might lock us out. Hopefully, we won't have to resort to either of these things," said Moore.
[story by Steve Tarter of Peoria Journal Star
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