CBS News 24/7 Staffers Pledge to Strike Over Contract Dispute

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Unionized staffers at CBS News 24/7, the network's free streaming channel, have pledged to strike if management does not reach an agreement on a new labor contract soon. The Writers Guild of America East members are seeking guaranteed wage increases, meaningful overtime rules, protected union jurisdiction, and flexible work-from-home protections. With 95% of the 60 unionized staffers signing the strike pledge, the bargaining committee is showing CBS News how a vote will go if a deal is not reached by the end of negotiations on Tuesday.

Why it matters

This labor dispute comes as CBS News undergoes sweeping changes under new leadership, including planned layoffs of up to 15% of the network's workforce. The potential strike by CBS News 24/7 staffers highlights the broader tensions between media companies and their unionized employees over issues like compensation, benefits, and work conditions in the evolving digital news landscape.

The details

The CBS News 24/7 staffers unionized in 2019 as part of a WGA East campaign to organize digital news workers in New York and the East Coast. This is the third contract cycle for the union, which began negotiations on Feb. 10. If the bargaining committee decides to strike after Tuesday's deadline, they must get approval from the WGA East Council and the bargaining unit's members via a vote.

• Tuesday, March 10, 2026 marks the last scheduled day for negotiations between the union's bargaining committee and CBS News management.

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.