CBS News Writers & Artists Authorize Strike

The picket lines are going to get a little more crowded as the Writers Guild of America today announced that the news writers and graphic artists, who have been working for more than two years without a contract, last week authorized a strike against CBS. Sadly the nation has been striking CBS News for a while, but we digress.

Of the 300 employees who cast ballots in last week's special election, 81% backed a labor stoppage to protest working for more than 2 1/2 years without a contract.

The strike authorization means the WGA East and WGA West could call for a walkout at any time, although a strike is not inevitable. Union officials hope that the vote -- coming in the midst of a strike involving television and film writers who work under a separate contract -- will prod CBS back to the negotiating table. The two sides last met in January.

"It's a very powerful vote," said Michael Winship, president of WGA East. "It proves that the CBS News folks have reached a point where they have taken this situation in their own hands and recognized that they need to get a contract, whatever needs to be done." - LAT

Interestingly, in a statement produced today by the the Tiffany network, it seems to think that it can still bring the news without its writers, editors, artists, et al.

"We hope there is no strike," the statement continued. "Should there be, however, CBS News, CBS Television Stations and CBS Radio remains fully prepared, and ready to continue producing the highest quality news programming for our viewers."

The labor dispute involves more than 500 news writers, editors, desk assistants, production assistants, graphic artists, promotion writers and researchers who work for CBS in New York, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles. About 60% are at local television and radio stations; the rest are at the network.

$10 says Katie Couric will try to pull an Ellen and write her own material. Hey, why not? When you're already dead last in the ratings, how much lower can you go?