Posts tagged PBS
Ocean State Media, Rhode Island’s NPR and PBS organization, has voted to unionize
June 25, 2026 // Also in the May petition, the group called for “fair and transparent compensation, clear role expectations, and a say in determining our protections and benefits.” The union currently represents neighboring stations, including New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) which joined in 2021 and and WBUR in Boston which joined in 2019.
Ocean State Media Staff Members Announce Intent To ‘Go Union,’ Join SAG-AFTRA
May 14, 2026 // Staff employed at Ocean State Media - Rhode Island’s NPR and PBS station, have announced their intention to form a Union with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). A majority of Workers - including Hosts, Reporters, And Digital, Audio and Video Producers, have signed a petition to Unionize. Ocean State Media was formed following a merger between The Public’s Radio, Rhode Island’s NPR affiliate, and Rhode Island PBS. The combined organization provides news and cultural coverage on the unique stories of Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts.
William F. Buckley’s Forgotten Contribution to the War Against Union Oppression
February 17, 2026 // In his 1970 lawsuit, Buckley noted that he joined AFTRA when the show was launched in 1966 because union membership and dues were a condition of employment imposed by New York’s WOR-TV, where the show was produced, and its parent company, RKO General, Inc. Later, he came to resent having to support an organization whose values clashed with his own and sought to opt out — just as hundreds of thousands of public employees have since Janus v. AFSCME affirmed their First Amendment right to do so in 2018.
Sesame Street Workers Say, “U Is for Union”
May 20, 2025 // While many of the puppeteers, actors, and crew members on the show have long been represented by entertainment unions, the new union covers the employees who bring Elmo and friends to life: artists, early-childhood experts, fundraisers, and more. Organizers see their campaign for dignity and respect at work as a natural continuation of Sesame’s mission to teach children to grow “smarter, stronger, and kinder.” “Workers at Sesame are deeply committed to doing things that are kind and fair,”
PBS NewsHour Content Creators Reveal Unionization Effort
July 18, 2022 // The workers, who are calling their group the NewsHour Union, announced their organizing attempt on Tuesday. “As the creative engine behind one of the most trusted news institutions in the country, our goal is to strengthen this pillar of American television news by creating a better, healthier and more transparent workplace,” the organizing committee said in a press release, adding that they are hoping to foster “the best workplace in public media.” The group is advocating to include more than 75 workers in the bargaining unit, including reporters, editors, producers, associate producers and others. Most of these workers are based in Arlington, Va., but some are based in the PBS NewsHour West Bureau in Phoenix, Ariz. and others are remote workers living across the country, according to the group. PBS NewsHour is owned by WETA, the Washington D.C.-based PBS member station. WETA, Mary Stewart, Classical radio station, anchors, correspondents,
New unions struggling with contracts
June 3, 2022 //