It's a tentative agreement that will give union employees in the news division a 3.5 percent wage increase and a $3,700 one-time signing bonus. About 500 news writers, editors, production assistants and researchers in L.A., NY, Chicago and Washington are covered. CBS dropped its previous demand for a two-tiered workforce that would have provided lower salary increases for local radio employees, such as the folks at KNX and KFWB. They've been working under an expired contract for nearly three years. The workers are represented by the Writers Guild, but it’s a different branch from that of the striking movie and TV writers. News writers at ABC News reached a similar deal in November.