NABET Protests at Time Warner Center Opening (NY Daily News Story)
Author: Phyliss Furman
Date: 02-04-04
New York Daily News -

Union sets CNN protest at Time Warner bash

By PHYLLIS FURMAN
DAILY NEWS BUSINESS WRITER

Wednesday, February 4th, 2004

Tonight's gala celebration of the opening of Time Warner Center will feature gourmet tastings, a performance from Cirque du Soleil - and a crowd of furious union members protesting against CNN.
Get ready for some fireworks at Columbus Circle as communications union NABET-CWA rallies its troops to shout out against the ousting of union workers at the Time Warner-owned cable news network.
"The people who are celebrating have caused a lot of misery," NWA-CWA Local 51011 president Edward McEwan told the Daily News. "Time Warner refuses to talk to us."
McEwan said he expects "hundreds" of protesters who will be "in a very visible spot" directly across the street from the 750-foot tall twin tower complex at 59th Street and Eighth Avenue.
But sources close to Time Warner said they doubted the union will rally a big crowd.
The union represents studio technicians and camera operators who were let go late last year after CNN ended a longtime agreement with a contractor called Team Video Services.
About half the technicians employed by the contractor were then hired back by CNN's New York bureau - but on a nonunion basis.
Another 65 workers lost their jobs. Some of them had worked at CNN for 20 years.
A CNN spokeswoman said "the move reflects the desire to hire our own staff to perform all of CNN's newsgathering operations" and other services.
"My first priority is to get them their jobs back," McEwan said. "Then we want CNN to recognize us as their bargaining agent."
The union's goal is grab the attention of the 3,000 execs, celebrities, and members of the media set to attend tonight's swank event.
The rally's set to start at 7 p.m., just as the black tie-clad guests begin to arrive.
But some big shots like CNN-founder Ted Turner won't be hearing any of it. Though he was invited, he's not expected to attend the Time Warner party.
"He had a previously scheduled event," a source said.