Union Raises Concerns with New York Station (Patreon)

Many New York City stations are taking a number of precautions with the coronavirus and the people tasked with covering the pandemic. 

FTVLive got and email from two people at Scripps owned WPIX and we want to share one of them with you guys about some of the issues that are being brought up and being taken to the union. 

Here is the email: 

I’ve been a consistent reader of your site for years and appreciate the hard work you put in covering our industry.

I’m reaching out to shed light on the current state of concern and anxiety amongst my fellow reporters at WPIX-TV in New York City. As stations across the city have adjusted the way they dispatch crews, our managers have remained largely silent to the requests we’ve put forth through our union.

This isn’t just about our own personal health.

We interact with the public on a daily basis.

We come back to the newsroom and use shared workspaces.

We go home to families and loved ones.

Most alarmingly for us:

Station managers have made reporters and photographers responsible for cleaning and disinfecting the live trucks, yet have been unable to provide us with any disinfecting cleaning supplies due to “shortages.”

Hand sanitizer dispensers in the live trucks have been empty for at least 2 weeks, also they claim, due to shortages.

PIX11 is still sending reporters into the New Rochelle containment zone. Reporters can speak up if they don’t want to go - but those reporters, quite frankly, have been treated like they’re not being team players.

In-person editorial meetings are still being held. The only request that the station has listened to from our list of is that now reporters have the option to dial-into the meeting.

This is the list of requests we sent to the station on Thursday through SAG Aftra. Late Sunday we received an answer to just the first request, that we may dial into the conference call.

—Moving editorial meetings to a conference call format

—Ensuring the hand sanitizer dispensers in the live trucks actually have hand sanitizer in them each day

—Having the live trucks cleaned by professional cleaning personnel

—Explaining WPIX's position regarding use of sick days/PTO policy for any employee who has to quarantine, or who tests positive for coronavirus

—Sanitary wipes in every truck, including the smaller trucks (the two Chevy Traverse live units, and the Chevy Tahoe live unit)

—ensuring that the newsroom edit room with two edit bays in it doesn’t violate social distancing guidelines

— surgical gloves available in each live truck

Here’s information I’ve gathered from friends at other stations about the steps they’ve already taken.

WCBS:

Their office is completely closed. Reporters are being dispatched directly into the field.

WABC:

No reporters or photographers will be sent into the New Rochelle containment zone

WNBC:

Each reporter will be paired with a photographer that they will work with all next week. Reporters are not to report to the newsroom. Each reporter is given hand sanitizer

NY1:

Some employees are doing live reports from home.

News12 Westchester/Bronx/Brooklyn:

All reporters and photographers have been told to not report into the building

Let's hope that Scripps corporate looks into these concerns and takes action if needed. You are asking crews to be on the frontline of this pandemic, at least let them know you have their back.