The entire Democratic state delegation representing Monroe County has opted to boycott one-on-one interviews with Channel 8/WROC until its parent company, Nexstar Media Group, recognizes its workers union.
A union dispute at Channel 8/WROC has led to an interview boycott by local Democrats – including the entire state delegation representing Monroe County.
The local elected leaders joined with WROC staffers Monday to demand parent company Nexstar Media Group recognize the workers union. The action harkens back to the Democrat and Chronicle’s protracted union efforts, but also illustrates the limitations of public officials to selectively take action against media outlets.
Workers with WROC, which operates its digital outlet as RochesterFirst, voted in favor of unionizing with the National Association of Broadcasting Employees and Technicians (NABET) in February 2023. But since then, management allegedly has stalled on negotiations, leading to an ongoing case with the National Labor Relation Board.
The complaint alleges that Nexstar actively refused to negotiate with the union but also used measures to stall any decisions from the board.
“These workers have made every attempt to negotiate, but management has ignored this vote, has refused to come to the table, has refused to honor the vote, and refused to recognize the rights of these workers to unionize,” said Assemblymember Harry Bronson, D-Rochester.
Among those boycotting are Bronson, Assemblymembers Demond Meeks, Sarah Clark, and Jen Lunsford and state Sens. Jeremy Cooney and Samra Brouk. Additionally, local representatives including Brighton Town Supervisor Bill Moehle, County Clerk Jamie Romeo, Rochester City Council President Miguel Meléndez, and City Councilmembers Mary Lupien, Michael Patterson, and Bridget Monroe also have opted to not speak directly with the outlet.
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello and Rochester Mayor Malik Evans did not return a request for comment on whether they were participating in the boycott.
Nexstar is one of the larger players in the national TV news market, operating local news stations in 41 states, from small town stations to KTLA in Los Angeles and WPIX in New York City.
The pay for the workers at those stations, particularly in smaller markets, tends to be low. For example, a current job listing for a multimedia journalist with WROC offers pay ranging from $18.27 to $20.67 per hour. The job requires a bachelor's degree and at least two years' experience in the field.
A request for comment from Nexstar was not immediately returned. WROC’s general manager, Wendy Bello, was not immediately available for comment.
Johnny Nixon is vice president of the local chapter of NABET. He said the request was made to elected officials on behalf of the union.
“Over two years of this blatant stalling and ignoring of democracy in the workplace is why the union feels that the company no longer has the right to ask elected officials for one-on-one interviews,” Nixon said. “These are the people that understand elections and why they matter. How would a nation function if elected officials were not allowed to take office, let alone do the work?”
The choice not to take one-on-one interviews is about as far as elected officials can go to voice their discontent without running into Constitutional issues.
For example, a 2007 federal court decision found that the mayor of Toledo, Ohio, Carlton Finkbeiner, had violated the First Amendment by barring a single reporter from news conferences, and cancelling those events when the reporter made their way in anyway.
Other similar cases over the years have concluded that, generally speaking, elected officials have an obligation to keep a reasonable amount of access to media outlets, given the information they’re conveying is considered public information anyway.
But what elected officials have less of an obligation to do is answer specific questions from outlets, or give exclusive access to a media outlet, as in a one-on-one interview.
Assemblymember Jen Lunsford said blocking out interviews with WROC is meant to send a message to Nexstar.
“I will not stand by and be complicit in filling the coffers of a company who will not even ... have a conversation with their workers about what is reasonable and what is respectful for them,” Lunsford said. “Who put their lives on the line to keep this community informed.”
