BOSTON — Hundreds of union members are expected to rally outside WHDH-TV’s downtown Boston headquarters Thursday in support of station employees seeking a new labor contract.
The rally is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 6 outside the station’s headquarters at 7 Bulfinch Place. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers International President Kenneth Cooper is scheduled to headline the demonstration.
IBEW Local 1228, which represents technical employees at WHDH-TV, said the station’s workers have gone more than three years without a wage increase while facing rising health insurance costs and other workplace concerns.
The union is calling on Sunbeam Television, which owns WHDH, to negotiate a contract providing higher wages, equitable treatment, and greater respect in the workplace.
“WHDH workers have stood together for months demanding the fair contract they’ve earned,” IBEW Local 1228 Business Manager and Financial Secretary Steve Katsos said. “Today’s rally sends a powerful message that the entire labor movement stands with them.”
Other scheduled speakers include Greater Boston Labor Council President Darlene Lombos; IBEW Local 103 Business Manager and Financial Secretary Lou Antonellis; and Greater Boston Building Trades Unions Business Agent Chaton Green.
The demonstration follows several weeks of informational picketing and public outreach by the workers. According to IBEW Local 1228, it also comes after multiple federal lawsuits were filed alleging wage-and-hour violations involving unpaid work-related travel by the station.
Dozens of Massachusetts labor organizations are expected to participate, including construction workers traveling from downtown Boston job sites.
Organizers warned that the anticipated turnout could cause intermittent traffic delays around Bulfinch Place, Boston City Hall, and other parts of downtown Boston.
