AT NBC STUDIOS, LUNCH IS MORE THAN A MEAL, IT'S A CAUSE.

Byline: Jennifer Hamm Staff Writer

BURBANK - In a town where lunch is a tool to seal multimillion-dollar movie deals, a few industry types at NBC Studios are fighting for the people who serve it up.

Some 100 NBC employees signed petitions Thursday in support of commissary workers who could lose their jobs when a new food service provider takes over next month.

Commissary employees change as often as the cook's special, but few employee lunchrooms are as well-known or beloved by the well-known as the eatery at NBC.

The commissary was made famous by years of Johnny Carson jabs on ``The Tonight Show.'' And among the 500 people who signed a petition earlier this spring endorsing the status quo were cast members from the soap opera ``Days of Our Lives,'' KNBC-TV news talent and staff members of the ``Tonight Show with Jay Leno.''

``This is a situation that affects all of us. These are the people who make my lunch, who I talk to, who I know,'' said Carrie Biggs-Adams, an NBC videotape engineer since 1976. ``Some of them I've known for more than 20 years.''

Diamond and Elias, which runs Marks Restaurant in Los Angeles, takes over as food service provider next month for Eurest Dining commissary for 23 years. The current commissary employees can reapply for their jobs but aren't guaranteed they'll get them, said Shirley Powell, executive vice president of publicity for NBC.

Though the network picked a new company, NBC employees are still trying to protect the 21 commissary workers. Biggs-Adams passed out black and yellow ribbons and helped collect signatures during a lunch-hour petition drive. The signatures will be sent to NBC West Coast President Scott Sassa and Entertainment President Garth Ancier.

``They are at risk of losing their jobs,'' Biggs-Adams said. ``When you have to apply for your job back, that's usually a sign that you aren't going to get your job back.''

Lisa Kassner, a 21-year veteran at NBC, said she collected signatures because the commissary employees are like co-workers. ``They'll do anything for us,'' she said.

NBC's decision to switch vendors is part of a ``normal standard business procedure,'' Powell said. The company began considering a number of other vendors when Eurest's contract come up for review, and Diamond and Elias was chosen, Powell said.

A one-year price freeze will be put in effect next month so employees wouldn't blame the network for more costly lunches due to the new vendor, she said.

A similar controversy erupted a decade ago when NBC considered hiring Bon Appetit for its commissary. Petitions were circulated then as well in an attempt to convince management that employees were happy with the current company. Public forums on the lot were held to give employees a chance to voice their opinions.

As a result of the outcry, NBC decided to stick with Eurest, which was then known as Canteen Corp.