Staffers at dual licensee KPBS in San Diego voted Monday to join SAG-AFTRA, the union said in a statement. The new bargaining unit will cover 55 employees who produce, report and present content for television, radio and the Web.
KPBS is the second pubmedia station in Southern California this year to organize with SAG-AFTRA; employees of KPCC in Pasadena voted to join in January. WBEZ in Chicago is currently petitioning to join the union, which was formed by the 2012 merger of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. SAG-AFTRA also represents pubmedia professionals at NPR, KQED in San Francisco, WNYC in New York and other stations.
UPDATE: The station released this statement late Tuesday: “KPBS will bargain in good faith with the union and the unit employees through the collective bargaining process and intends to create a positive working relationship with SAG AFTRA. We will work cooperatively in a constantly changing media environment.”