WHDH-TV photographers sue station, alleging labor violations

Four WHDH-TV (Channel 7) photographers alleged that the station did not correctly compensate them for work journey, in response to lawsuits filed in federal courtroom Tuesday.

WHDH staff Britanny Carr, Kurt Hartwell, and Matthew Gibbons alleged that the station violated federal labor legal guidelines by not paying staff for journey forward of snowstorms in January and February, which they stated included transporting cameras and different gear for storm protection. The employees additionally accused the station of failing to pay time beyond regulation and intimidating not less than one plaintiff to omit hours labored the day earlier than the storm.

In a separate lawsuit, WHDH photographer and editor Nick Sapienza alleged that the station did not correctly compensate him for time spent on work flights in 2024. Two of the flights included delays, and the worker alleged that WHDH did not pay the entire time beyond regulation that he reported working.

“WHDH is aware of the dispute, has reviewed all records, and has determined that all employees were properly paid,” stated Lily Pardo, a spokesperson for WHDH proprietor Sunbeam Television, in a press release.

The lawsuits come because the station and the union representing photographers and video editors have been locked in contract negotiations for greater than a 12 months. IBEW Local 1228, the union that represents the employees, is searching for wage will increase and has stated that its employees have gone three years with out a elevate.

Some station staff and union members handed out informational materials concerning the contract dispute and different issues through the Independence Day celebrations on the Esplanade final weekend.

“IBEW Local 1228 is encouraging union members from across the region to participate in upcoming informational pickets outside WHDH as workers continue their campaign for a fair contract and full compliance with federal and state wage laws,” stated Steve Katsos, the union’s assistant enterprise supervisor, in a press release.

In the lawsuit alleging labor legislation violations surrounding snowstorm protection, the workers acknowledged that WHDH instructed workers to “report for storm coverage on a Sunday, which was a scheduled day off for some employees,” forward of the large blizzard that blanketed the area in January.

The employees stated they introduced gear to locations together with motels, and had been advised by the station to not report hours labored on timesheets. Some staff labored as much as 16 hours through the storm and WHDH disputed time beyond regulation hours for some employees, the criticism stated.

Less than a month later, union representatives met with station administration and had been advised that lodge stays “were offered as a courtesy” and “did not require payment for the time spent,” which staff disputed, in response to the criticism. Management additionally allegedly stated that they “don’t pay people to sleep.”

Employees additionally stated that they weren’t paid for meals for storm-related journey in January and February, and that some staff had been denied meal reimbursements — with administration citing “ineligibility or a requirement for receipts” — whereas others had been accredited. WHDH and the union have since 2011 had a per diem coverage for meals that doesn’t require receipts, in response to the criticism. The staff stated that coverage was modified following the storms.

Sapienza’s lawsuit facilities on work-related flights he took in 2024, together with a global flight on May 1 that was canceled and rebooked after he arrived on the airport. He in the end boarded the airplane after spending eight hours within the terminal and reported working from 6 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. the following day, which accounted for 18.5 hours of time beyond regulation.

He was initially paid simply eight hours of labor, however following “numerous emails and requests,” he acquired an extra eight hours of time beyond regulation pay. Sapienza can be searching for extra time beyond regulation compensation for 2 different work-related flights, certainly one of which was delayed greater than 4 hours.

The employees are searching for unpaid compensation, reimbursements, protection of attorneys charges, and different reduction from the courtroom.

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Aidan Ryan will be reached at aidan.ryan@globe.com. Follow him @aidanfitzryan.