2026 ABC Master Agreement FAQ

NABET-CWA/ABC 2026-2031 MASTER AGREEMENT FAQ     
July 23, 2026

It has been several weeks since eligible members voted on the May 1, 2026, Tentative Agreement covering work at ABC, Inc. and other covered business units. The NABET-CWA/ABC Network Negotiating Committee (NNC) would like to provide this reference for answers to questions that have been asked of us recently.

1.    Was the 2026-2031 Master Agreement ratified?  Yes. On June 15, 2026, electronic ballots were tabulated and the results were certified by BallotPoint Election Services, an independent election service hired by the Union to conduct the ratification vote. BallotPoint handled all aspects of the voting for members after the eligibility list was generated by CWA Headquarters in Washington, DC and verified by each of the ABC Network Locals, including sending election notices, providing ballot access, addressing individual problems encountered by members, and tabulation of the contract vote.  BallotPoint Election Services certified that the 2026-2031 Master Agreement was overwhelmingly ratified. The Union issued a Bulletin on June 15, 2026, announcing those results.

2.    Why aren’t detailed ratification voting results published? In accordance with the CWA Constitution and the NABET-CWA Sector By-Laws, the Network Negotiating Committee has the specific duty of determining strategies to provide an advantage over the Company during all stages of bargaining. Like many unions (IBEW, DGA, IATSE, and CWA) both generally and in our industry, those strategies specifically include only announcing the overall results of strike authorization votes and ratification votes.

3.    When will the new contract be printed and/or made available on-line? The Union and the Company have committed to streamlining the drafting, proofreading, and printing process for the 2026-2031 Master Agreement. Work has already begun on getting this done efficiently and correctly. In the meantime, members should use these documents for reference in addressing workplace issues such as pay rates, penalties, jurisdiction, etc. Click on each link to find the previous Master Agreement, and the Memorandum of Agreement which contains the changes for the new contract.

4.    When does the new contract go into effect? Most terms and conditions of the 2026-2031 Master Agreement are effective on October 1, 2026. However, the increase in the per diem allowance to $62 for travel while on Company business, Section 7.7(a), went into effect on June 27, 2026, as did the special wage scale adjustment for “A Unit” employees working at KGO-TV. The transition from bi-weekly pay to weekly pay will be effective with the paycheck issued on October 16, 2026, and the conversion to fully electronic statements of earnings went into effect on July 15, 2026. Most changes to daily hire benefits are effective at the beginning of calendar year 2027.

5.    When do the general minimum scale wage increases go into effect? There will be four general increases for all minimum wage scales during the term of the 2026-2031 NABET-CWA/ABC Master Agreement. The first increase will be 3% effective April 3, 2027, followed by a 4% increase in April of 2028, a 3% increase in April of 2029, and a 3.75% increase in April of 2030. Payments in lieu of benefits and travel-only day rates for daily hires will increase concurrently with the wage increases.

Please contact your NABET-CWA Local if you have any additional questions or concerns regarding the 2026-2031 contract.

In Solidarity,
Your NABET-CWA-ABC Network Negotiating Committee

Local 16: Jim Joyce, President

Local 31: Alex Staherski, Vice-President; Bantu Opiotennione, President

Local 41: Stephen Griswold, President; Patrick Keating and Michael Johnson, Executive Board Members 
             
Local 51: Carrie Biggs-Adams, President; Brad Belstock, Vice-President; 
                Colin Tuttle, Executive Board Member

NABET-CWA Sector: Charlie Braico, NABET-CWA President and Chief Spokesperson; 
                                    Judi Chartier, General Counsel; 
                                    Steve Rubbinaccio, Sports Agreement Coordinator; 
                                    Ron Gabalski, Chief of Staff and Assistant to the President
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