Let me put it in
four words ---
technology and union busting.
We all know how
fast the
information world is moving. And how quickly it affects our earnings --
nothing or very little for writers, staff or freelance, and a lot for
the giant media corporations.
The stalemate in ABC and CBS contract negotiations is one example
of the corporate effort to break our union. And a preview of the
upcoming 2008 MBA negotiations.
Fortunately, we have a new era of good will between the East and
West coasts…one that includes care and efforts by freelancers and staff
to help and to fight for each other. The recent ad by freelancers
supporting contract negotiations for ABC and CBS staffers is one
example.
In this election, I have joined the slate that brokered the recent
peace and Constitutional changes with the West. Their breakthrough
effort to solve our problems is the type of energy we need to break the
stone walling by management.
I ask for your vote.
Biography
I have many years of service to
the
Guild, as a past Vice President and council member, to aid in this
fight.
My career started in print journalism (NY Times, Wall Street
Journal,
Newsday) before working as a news writer and producer at WCBS-TV News
for 20 years.
I now run the Broadcast Journalism program at Brooklyn College and
have
worked part-time at WOR-TV and NBC. I wrote a textbook on broadcast
journalism with two colleagues from CBS.
I was nominated for one Emmy award and two WGA, East news writing
awards.
I had a screenplay I wrote with my writing partner optioned. It
died in
development hell.
Andy Meppen