The Writers Guild of America, East members working at Fox-owned WNYW New York delivered a petition to station management demanding that pensions for union members be fully funded.
The Guild said that 90% of the station's union members signed the petition.
The Guild similarly asked CBS News, ABC News and Audacy in New York to fund their employees' pensions and those units agreed.
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According to the union, Fox has proposed eliminating the pension for new staffers at WNYW and has offered to pay only a fraction of what is needed to ensure that current employees receive their pensions when they stop working.
"We, the Writers Guild of America, East members at WNYW, demand that the station agree to a contract that provides fair wages and protects the WGA pension for all current and future employees in our bargaining unit. We are alarmed that the company has not only refused to commit to the contribution rates the fund requires, but also proposed to eliminate the pension for newly hired staff employees," the guild petition says. "We will not support any proposal by the company that threatens the future of our pension."
A Fox spokesperson said that "the company and the Writers Guild resume collective bargaining today. As always, the company will continue to bargain in good faith with the Guild to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement." ■
