CNN will pay the sum of $76mn in terms of back pay for settling allegations of violating the fed labor law at the time it replaced several unionized broadcast executives over 15 years ago, said the National Labor Relations Board on Friday.
As per the board, the settlement is the biggest monetary remedy it has witnessed in its history as well as is over the amount it garners in one typical year.
The agreement concludes one long-term dispute which emerged in the year 2003, when the cable company terminated one contract along with Team Video Services that had offered video and audio services to CNN’s Washington and New York bureaus.
CNN later hired new technicians to execute the same task, without bargaining or recognizing with the 2 unions which had represented the employees of Team Video Services, said the board.
As per the board, CNN sought to function as one non-union workplace and made it very clear to its employees that their prior commitment with union affiliation and Team Video Services barred them from the employment.
The latest agreement will be advantageous to around 300 sound technicians, camera operators, broadcast engineers and studio technicians.
Notably, the agreement comes in just a couple of days ahead of the union of broadcast employees’ plan of picketing outside the upcoming presidential debate that CNN will be hosting on Tuesday.
