Greetings!

    As of today, anyone who has worked at KOIN for at least one year, and this includes part-timers and freelancers- - receives a 4% raise.

This is the last raise of this contract.  As you may recall, our first raise was 3% in 2006, then 3.5% in 2007, and now 4%.  In three years our wages have risen 10%.  As someone who received only .99% raise total from 2000 to 2005 (Yes, less than 1% in 5 years!)  I still feel a little in shock.

  Shocked, and proud.  Proud of my feisty coworkers who knew the value of their work and organized the first union at KOIN since 1989.

  I wasn't in the original group of organizers.  I will tell you now that it scared the bejeebees out of me.  Yes, I voted for it, but I was afraid that the company would ... I don't know what.  I had been afraid for so long that's all I knew.

   Since then, besides the money, it has been nice not to live in unreasonable fear.  I know that I will be judged on the quality of my work, not my age, or salary as a reason for dismissal.

   But we live in tough times.  Our company is basically owned by another equity group, and the bottom line is what they see. And as many of the decisions they make are not personal,  we need to be sure that our union, our fight and our determination is personal.  It's our lives, and our families, and our community that we struggle for.

   Is it easy? Is it quick?  No, the first contract seemed to take forever.  I was on the negotiating team, with Ole Olson.  We started the contract process under Emmis -- who were so mad that we unionized that they fought every contract detail.  The general manager lost his job because we unionized.  Then Montecito/SJL came in (actually they purchased us right before the union election, but didn't take control immediately)  And we negotiated with Marty and Sandy Benton.  (Interestingly, our union knew Sandy from KSBY in San Luis Obispo, our sister local 51 station., when  they were owned by SJL.)   We worked hard, and eventually got a decent first contract, of which you are seeing the fruits of that today - the 4% raise.

   Today,  I would especially like to thank our union president, Kevin Wilson.   I hope he doesn't get upset when I describe him as a union nerd. He's not your good old boy union guy who wants to golf with the big guys. (I don't even know if he golfs- but I doubt that he has time) . He lives and breathes union.  Nothing he likes better that getting us every penny he can.  For those who don't know- he was a production worker at KGO in San Francisco.  You name it - he did it.  Still an employee, but he is on leave to be our president.  But still very much one of us.

   I also want to thank Kathleen McCarthy and Ole Olson for the outstanding work they do as our stewards.  Please don't hesitate to ask any one of us for help with anything -- timecards, payroll, problems.  I would also like to thank Tim Van den Bos and Charlie Longfellow for their work on the Nabet 51 Executive Board.

   Today is a good day.  But it also begins the last year of our contract.  We need to stay strong, stay committed, and be prepared.  We hope that the new company will be interested in keeping us as happy partners at KOIN TV, and our next contract will be easier than the last.

With your help -- we will make that happen!

      Ellen

PS  Anyone who reaches their one year anniversary before July 28th, 2009 will receive this wage increase.  Be sure to let us know when you reach one year and we will make that happen.