NLRB Files Complaint Against Infinity in Detroit

The National Labor Relations Board has served an unfair labor practices complaint against Infinity Broadcasting in Detroit, stating that reasonable cause exists to believe that the employer’s actions have violated the National Labor Relations Act, which guarantees the right of employees to organize and to bargain collectively with their employers.
The union stated that during collective bargaining negotiations on the station broadcast agreements for WXYT(AM) and WWJ(AM) with American Federation of Television and Radio Artists in May, Infinity refused to allow bargaining unit meetings to take place on the station’s premises. AFTRA said this was a change from previous practice, and, “As a result of this action, AFTRA was compelled to conduct meetings with employees on the sidewalk in front of the station,” said AFTRA Local President Steve Goldsmith.
The previous January, WXYT employees voted in favor of joining the bargaining unit of Newsradio WWJ, which has been working under an AFTRA contract since 1996. The WWJ/WXYT technical employees also voted unanimously in favor of AFTRA representation. However, at this time, both contracts remain unsettled on a variety of issues, including wages, and negotiations are ongoing.