CBS Corporation agreed to a tentative new contract with union employees in their news division today. The deal included a 3.5% wage increase and a one-time signing bonus.
In November, 80% of the union members voted to authorize a strike after failing to come up with an agreement. The threat of that strike and the possibility that striking WGA West writers could picket caused the Democratic National Committee to cancel a planned debate on December 10, which was to be hosted by Katie Couric.
The union members include news writers, editors and production assistants. They are being represented by the Writers Guild of America East and West, the union handling the current film and television writers strike. News writers at ABC News agreed to an almost identical agreement in November.