Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1114369
sagaftra.org | Spring 2019 | SAG-AFTRA 27 SAG-AFTRA, NYPR REACH AGREEMENT ON EXPANSION OF BARGAINING UNIT S AG-AFTRA and New York Public Radio began bargaining for a new contract in May 2018. One year later, the union has a new agreement with expanded jurisdiction to cover digital, per diem and temporary employees, practically doubling the size of the previous bargaining unit. During the course of these negotiations, the union successfully organized and reached two voluntary recognition agreements with NYPR to cover two residual units of employees — first, temporary, per diem and part-time employees, as of Aug. 2, 2018, and, second, Gothamist reporters and certain digital content creators and engineers, as of Dec. 26, 2018. The new agreement extends the benefits and protections of the existing union agreement to previously non-union employees, resulting in significant pay increases and union protections such as severance pay and health coverage for more than 80 employees. In addition, the union achieved improvements to the overall agreement, including a significant increase to the host scale, improvements to health and pension benefits, personal time off, and new provisions related to editorial process concerns and career development. Prior to the completion of the full agreement but upon the occasion of the voluntary recognition agreements TOTAL TRAFFIC & WEATHER NETWORK FORECAST T otal Traffic and Weather chapters from New England, Washington-Mid Atlantic, Philadelphia, New York and the Los Angeles locals have reached agreements with iHeart Radio for new contracts set to expire in 2022. These were difficult negotiations with iHeart Radio, as the company is moving out of bankruptcy. However, iHeart Radio did propose general wage increases plus an increase to the wage scale. Other locals set to begin bargaining this spring include San Francisco and Seattle. WBUR EMPLOYEES VOTE TO RECOGNIZE SAG-AFTRA AS THEIR UNION From left, TTWN shop stewards Tony Thornton, Danielle Sharrocks and Ed Rodriguez from the Washington-Mid Atlantic Local S taff at WBUR in Boston have voted overwhelmingly to recognize SAG-AFTRA as their union — with 96 percent voting in favor. The election was conducted Feb. 27 by the National Labor Relations Board. The victory allows them to move forward to negotiate a first contract. The new bargaining unit will cover the public media professionals who create content for all areas of the station, including those working in the news department, on the digital team, on Here & Now, Radio Boston, On Point, Only a Game, on podcasts and in the production departments. "On behalf of our SAG-AFTRA membership, I want to welcome the media professionals at WBUR. SAG-AFTRA will support you in your fight for transparency, equity in compensation, a more diverse and inclusive workplace as well as protections for the freelancers and temporary workers that make WBUR a vital public radio station," said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. WBUR represents the latest in a series of organizing victories for public media professionals with SAG-AFTRA. In recent years, employees at KPCC in Pasadena, KPBS in San Diego, WBEZ in Chicago, KUOW in Seattle, Minnesota Public Radio, and digital and per diem employees at New York Public Radio have all unionized with SAG-AFTRA. SAG-AFTRA also represents public media profession als at National Public Radio and several other public radio and television stations. Reporters, editors, producers, content creators and production staff of 90.9 WBUR-FM, Boston's NPR news station, celebrate their organizing victory in Boston on April 5. Continues on page 68