KVEA-TV Recognizes Employees’ Union

KVEA-TV Channel 52 has recognized the union voted in by its production and newsroom employees, effectively avoiding a threatened boycott during November sweeps and ending an 18-month labor dispute.

The local flagship of Telemundo, the nation’s second-largest Spanish-language broadcast network, agreed to meet with representatives of the National Assn. of Broadcast Employees (NABET) on Nov. 20.

“I’m very happy that they recognized NABET,” said Jose de Paz, director of the Coalicion Pro-Justicia en KVEA-52, a coalition of labor, Latino and community activists who protested KVEA’s refusal to bargain with NABET.

“We’ll be watching the process,” said De Paz. “If it turns out to be a stalling tactic, we’ll get back into the fray. This is one more boxcar in the empowerment train for Latino workers.”

KVEA also agreed to meet with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) at the end of November to discuss allegations of discrimination against pro-union reporters.

Although AFTRA elections held at the station ended in a tie vote in March 1996, the contracts of six pro-union reporters were not renewed over the next 12 months, according to spokeswoman Leslie Simon.

“This is only the beginning,” said Simon. “We sincerely hope they agree to negotiate in good faith and seriously address the issues that AFTRA has brought to the table.

“The only reason they settled was the amount of support that was garnered at all levels within the Latino community--from leaders to the rank-and-file people who watch the station,” Simon said.

In two elections--the first in April 1996--KVEA workers chose NABET to represent them. Both times, the station challenged the vote and accused the union of intimidating employees.

The National Labor Relations Board, which supervised and certified the election, cited KVEA for not allowing workers to wear union insignia or post union literature at the station.

The dispute led the Coalicion to organize a boycott of the station during the crucial November sweeps.

KVEA station manager Eduardo Dominguez denied any wrongdoing on the station’s part or that the company buckled under pressure from a boycott during the crucial November sweeps.

“We sat down and looked to what was in the best interest of the company and employees,” said Dominguez. “We thought that this was the best time to do it.”

The station, which reaches 1.3 million Spanish-speaking homes in Southern California, was the only major nonunion television station in Los Angeles. KVEA has 120 full-time employees and up to 50 freelancers.