Posts tagged PBS

    Research ● Labor Unionization Unions

    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.

    5th Amendment 9th amendment Abood v. Detroit Board of Education American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Buckley v. AFTRA California California Teachers Association condition of employment Davenport v. WEA Firing Line First Amendment Forced unionization free speech Harris v. Quinn home health care workers Janus v. AFSCME Mark Janus opt-out Pamela Harris PBS Public Employees Rebecca Friedrichs Supreme Court Unionization William F. Buckley

    News Article ● Labor Unionization Unions

    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,”

    benefits Congress DOGE Donald Trump employment conditions layoffs Manhattan New York NLRB NPR Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 153 OPEIU Local 153 PBS rainy-day fund Sesame Street Sesame Workshop Trump Administration unionize wages

    News Article ● Unionization

    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,

    Directors Guild of America editors International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers NewsHour Union PBS producers reporters SAG-AFTRA Unionization voluntary recognition

    News Article ● Labor Unionization

    New unions struggling with contracts

    June 3, 2022 //

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