Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Approves a New Contract With CBS

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has voted to approve a three-year contract with CBS, union officials said Tuesday. The union refused to give specific figures for the vote by its 1,500 members.

In Los Angeles, Paul Wagner, business manager of IBEW Local 45, said CBS’ offer was narrowly approved by members of his local, which has 420 CBS employees.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt about it,” he said when asked if he thought the vote reflected worries caused by a 17-week strike by another major technical union against NBC. That walkout ended in October.

The CBS pact provides for a 3% pay bonus to start in January, and pay hikes of 3% in 1989 and 1990. It also allows for unlimited daily hires by the company, but bars it from using such temporary employees to replace full-time staffers, Wagner said.