CBS O&O Tells Employees to Use Port-A-Potty (Patreon)

There is no doubt that COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of us in one way or another. 

Doctors and nurses are on the frontline working to try and save people and often doing it in less than ideal conditions. Many hospital staff is finding it hard to get the proper PPE to keep them safe while doing their jobs. 

TV news crews are also out every day in the field trying to tell the stories and keep viewers informed. 

While many stations are expecting their crews to cover the story, they are also not providing them with the personal protection that they need. 

At CBS's WJZ in Baltimore, management has basically locked Reporters and Photographers out of the building, but they are expected to do their job. 

Management won't even let crews in to use the bathroom and has placed port-a-potties outside the station.  

"At first they only had one port-a-potty, they expected reporters and photographers (male and female) to use together. After an uproar, another port-a-potty arrived with gloves to clean it yourself before you use it" said one station insider to FTVLive. 

Station sources say there is a bathroom in the building that is not being used and is close to an exit. But management has padlocked the door near those bathrooms. 

The station is providing a glove at the gas pump, but there is a stern warning if you take more than one glove, you will be "dealt with". 

Crews say that they are finding it hard to get enough safety gear and Reporters and Photographers feel like while they are on the front line of the story, they feel almost abandoned by the station. 

"It's been a month of COVID coverage here and it's been radio silence from the GM and other managers, so I guess they feel justified that their 'methods' have provided coverage that meets their needs," said one WJZ staffer to FTVLive. 

These kinds of problems are playing out at stations across the country. News crews at many stations have still not been given proper masks and have been told to wear a scarf or something similar. 

Crews are out there telling the story, keeping the viewers informed and at companies like Tegna and Meredith, they are being rewarded with furloughs or pay cuts. 

Yes, it is tough times for TV stations. But, many of those working the story feel like they been abandoned by management that cares more about the bottom line than they do about their employees. 

Also, looking at the schedule of cleaning by the port-a-potty supplied to the station, it appears to get cleaned once a week at best.

Can't CBS/WJZ at least let the Reporters and Photographers have their own entrance to the building so they don't have to pee in a plastic box? 

Just saying...