Writers Guild of America East members at the division’s streaming service have delivered a “strike pledge” to network and parent company Paramount management, following the expiration of their contract last night.
The pledge, signed by 95% of the 60-member bargaining unit, comes as staffers across CBS News worry about another round of layoffs and that they will amount to 15% cuts.
The WGAE member pledge sent to management calls on the company “to meet us where we are at on our most important issues: guaranteed wage increases, meaningful overtime rules, protected union jurisdiction, and flexible work from home protections.”
“Our colleagues on the bargaining committee have put in significant time and effort to negotiate our new contract. We pledge to support them and will participate at minimum in a 24-hour walkout and strike if necessary to win a contract that protects the things that matter to us the most,” the pledge states.
The pledge calls on a “fair deal” iwth the union by the end of Tuesday, which is the last scheduled bargaining date. “We pledge to walk out and, if necessary, strike for a fair contract,” the pledge states.
A CBS News spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment.
Bari Weiss, editor in chief of CBS News, in January unveiled a new strategy for the newsroom to shift to a “streaming mentality” and characterizing CBS News 24/7 as “a lab for new formats and shows.”