WHDH-TV photographers sue station, alleging the outlet failed to compensate them for work travel

Four WHDH-TV (Channel 7) photographers alleged that the station failed to properly compensate them for work travel, according to lawsuits filed in federal court Tuesday.

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WHDH employees Britanny Carr, Kurt Hartwell, and Matthew Gibbons alleged that the station violated federal labor laws by not paying employees for travel ahead of snowstorms in January and February, which they said included transporting cameras and other gear for storm coverage. The workers also accused the station of failing to pay overtime and intimidating at least one plaintiff to omit hours worked the day before the storm.

In a separate lawsuit, WHDH photographer and editor Nick Sapienza alleged that the station failed to properly compensate him for time spent on work flights in 2024. Two of the flights included delays, and the employee alleged that WHDH failed to pay all of the overtime that he reported working.

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

The lawsuits come as the station and the union representing photographers and video editors have been locked in contract negotiations for more than a year. IBEW Local 1228, the union that represents the workers, is seeking wage increases and has said that its workers have gone three years without a raise.

Some station employees and union members passed out informational material about the contract dispute and other concerns during the Independence Day celebrations on the Esplanade last 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,” said Steve Katsos, the union’s assistant business manager, in a statement.

In the lawsuit alleging labor law violations surrounding snowstorm coverage, the employees stated that WHDH instructed staff to “report for storm coverage on a Sunday, which was a scheduled day off for some employees,” ahead of the massive blizzard that blanketed the region in January.

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The workers said they brought gear to places including hotels, and were told by the station not to record hours worked on timesheets. Some employees worked up to 16 hours during the storm and WHDH disputed overtime hours for some workers, the complaint said.

Less than a month later, the union met with station management and were told that hotel stays “were offered as a courtesy” and “did not require payment for the time spent,” which employees disputed, according to the complaint. Management also allegedly said that they “don’t pay people to sleep.”

Employees also said that they were not paid for meals for storm-related travel in January and February, and that some employees were denied meal reimbursements — with management citing “ineligibility or a requirement for receipts” — while others were approved. WHDH and the union have since 2011 had a per diem policy for meals that does not require receipts, according to the complaint. The employees said that policy was changed following the storms.

Sapienza’s lawsuit centers on work-related flights he took in 2024, including an international flight on May 1 that was canceled and rebooked after he arrived at the airport. He ultimately boarded the plane after spending eight hours in the terminal and reported working from 6 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. the next day, which accounted for 18.5 hours of overtime.

He was initially paid just eight hours of work, but following “numerous emails and requests,” he received an additional eight hours of overtime pay. Sapienza is also seeking additional overtime compensation for two other work-related flights, one of which was delayed more than four hours.

The workers are seeking unpaid compensation, reimbursements, coverage of attorneys fees, and other relief from the court.

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