ABC Strike

About 2,000 unionized ABC employees who work on such programs as "Monday Night Football" and "Live - With Regis & Kathie Lee" walked off the job this morning in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C., in a health care dispute. ABC broadcasts would continue as scheduled, said company spokeswoman Julie Hoover. The members of the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians, which represents the 75-person behind-the-camera broadcast crew scheduled to work Monday night's National Football League game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys, stopped working at 5 a.m. EST for a 24-hour unfair-labor practice strike, said union spokesman Tom Donahue. "We have taken all necessary precautions to ensure that our telecasts will continue without interruption - and that includes 'Monday Night Football,"' said the ABC spokeswoman. There were about 1,100 strikers in New York, 600 in Los Angeles, 300 in Washington, 150 in Chicago and 100 in San Francisco. The reason for the strike is illegal action by ABC and its parent, the Walt Disney Company, in withholding details of Disney's health care plan, the union said. ABC officials have demanded that the union members abandon their current health care coverage and enroll in Disney's Signature Plan, which has not been clearly defined to them, he said. The strike disrupted ABC's Monday morning television programming, resulting in faulty audio feeds and incorrect graphics being shown during "Good Morning America," the union said. The strike would affect other shows, news operations at New York City's Channel 7, and ABC's radio operations, he said.