For Immediate Release: May 27, 2025
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and CBS reached a landmark agreement last week, delivering one of the most significant wage packages in the nearly 90-year history of the relationship and chartering a collaborative path forward on critical issues like artificial intelligence and emerging broadcast technologies.
“This tentative agreement reflects a new era of partnership and progress that recognizes the important contributions of IBEW-represented technicians while embracing the challenges and opportunities of the future,” said IBEW International President Kenneth W. Cooper.
“From news and sports to streaming and operations, IBEW members are the engine behind CBS’s continued success, just like they have been since 1939. We believe this agreement not only speaks to CBS’s commitment to national and local broadcasting, it also reinforces the value of skilled union labor and reflects a shared vision for adapting to the fast-evolving media landscape,” Cooper said.
“The skilled technicians and valued employees represented by IBEW have been a bedrock of CBS’s success since the early days of television, and that continues as we chart our future together,” said George Cheeks, Co-CEO, Paramount Global and President & CEO of CBS. “I want to thank IBEW leaders Kenneth Cooper and Robert Prunn for setting the tone in a collaborative, forward-looking negotiation that worked through issues together and delivered value for all our stakeholders.”
In addition to wage and other provisions, the agreement establishes joint frameworks for dialogue and cooperation on artificial intelligence and new technologies, ensuring that CBS and the IBEW move forward together with respect for craft, workforce protections and operational excellence. These frameworks set the stage for a continuation of the unique, long-standing relationship between CBS and the IBEW to work collaboratively and solve issues without workplace disruptions.“We want to thank the negotiating team at CBS and Paramount Co-CEO George Cheeks for their collaborative and respectful approach to these negotiations, and for their acknowledgement of IBEW members’ contributions to nearly a century of success at CBS,” said IBEW Director of Broadcasting Robert Prunn. “We believe the future of CBS is very bright.”
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The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) represents approximately 860,000 members and retirees who work in a wide variety of fields, including construction, utilities, manufacturing, telecommunications, broadcasting, railroads and government.
