Tentative CBS, Writers Union Pact Achieved

CBS Inc. and its 400 striking workers represented by the Writers Guild of America reached a tentative contract agreement to end a six-week strike, the union announced today.

Terms of the package were not immediately disclosed.

The union represents 400 employees at CBS, covering writers, graphic artists, researchers and desk assistants. Most of the strikers work at the local and network news operations in both radio and television.

The Writers Guild members went on strike March 2 after talks failed to settle differences over a new contract.

Also on strike from that time were 125 union workers at Capital Cities/ABC Inc. who still remain off the job.

Temporary Workers

Among the main issues in the CBS strike were the use of temporary workers to replace staff members and whether union members could be fired without outside arbitration.

CBS said Monday that it had put forward what it called a complete and comprehensive package aimed at ending the strike.

A short time after the news writers went on strike at network studios in New York and Washington and at network-owned stations in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, CBS laid off 200 employees to cut $30 million from its news budget.

A number of politicians and celebrities, including Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.), New York Gov. Mario M. Cuomo, New York Mayor Edward I. Koch, and singers Pearl Bailey and Harry Belafonte, have refused to cross picket lines and canceled scheduled appearances on network news programs.