News Writers to Vote on CBS's Contract Proposal

From LaRadio.com

WGA East and West members will get to vote on the latest
contract proposal from CBS. The union's negotiating committee has
called the offer unacceptable, but is putting it to the rank
and file anyway saying it wants to demonstrate that members
won't accept the offer either.

From Broadcasting & Cable: According to the guild, the latest
CBS offer is:

"A 65-month contract (4/l/05 through 8/30/10) with no retroactive
wages.

"A two-tier wage package: television and network radio members
in one tier and local radio members in another.

"Wage increases for the television and radio tier averaging 2.2%
per year over the duration of the 65-month contract, that would
total 12% over the next 45 months (no retroactive increase).

"Wage increases for the local radio members tier averaging 1.48%
per year over the duration of the 65-month contract, that would
total 8% over the next 45 months (no retroactive increase).

"The right to assign non-Guild KFWB-Radio employees to write
and edit at KNX-Radio.  The ability to merge or combine Guild shops
with non-Guild units, and in doing so potentially force the Guild
out of those shops."