Ocean State Public Media votes to unionize

Employees at Ocean State Public Media in Providence, R.I., voted last week to unionize with the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

Seventy-one percent of the employees in the unit voted in favor of unionizing, according to a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson. The unit currently consists of 14 content creators, all of whom voted.

The employees announced their intent to unionize last month. They said in a petition to management that they want “a culture that is collaborative, equitable and inclusive.”

The unit will now begin bargaining its first contract with management.

“The team at Ocean State Media is hardworking, talented, and deeply committed to telling stories that inform, reflect, and connect Rhode Islanders,” a spokesperson for the station said. “We respect the results of this vote and will continue to work together to advance our public media mission.” 

Ocean State Public Media was formed in 2024 by a merger of Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio.

This article has been updated with a comment from an Ocean State Public Media spokesperson.