Dick Kay In Memoriam

Dick Kay passed today after a brief illness. The SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local mourns his passing and celebrates his life as a professional reporter and as a devoted trade unionist. 

Dick served his union on every level and in practically every capacity possible for a member. He was shop steward at WMAQ, the NBC owned-and-operated station in Chicago, for more than 35 years after he was hired in 1968. Dick sat at every local negotiation table during his career at WMAQ. He served on the Local Board from 1992 until 2011. 

In 1996, he was elected local president and was the first broadcaster elected to lead our local in more than 40 years. He served four terms as local president. On Dick’s watch, the Chicago Local developed many innovative actions. Before he became president, he oversaw the establishment, growth and development of the Local Broadcast Steering Committee. The local organized WSNS/Telemundo, the first Spanish-language broadcast outlet to be organized in Chicago. 

Dick’s dynamic leadership and the respect accorded to him by his fellow journalists throughout the market played a significant role in the rapid expansion of the Chicago Local’s broadcast base. Dick displayed particularly remarkable courage and tenacity in the yearlong Telemundo organizing drive. His employer, NBC, purchased the Telemundo Network in late 2001. The ink was no sooner dry on the purchase agreement than Dick was in conversations with the anchors and reporters at Telemundo, urging them to consider joining AFTRA. 

Dick persevered despite pressure by senior management at WMAQ. The general manager suggested that as the local president, Dick should tell union staff to “back off” the organizing strategies and tactics being used in the campaign. In response, Dick took his commitment to an even higher level. During most of the campaign, he had no personal service contract but remained unflinching in his support of the Telemundo 9, as they came to be known. Dick served as a master of ceremonies at a rally outside Chicago’s NBC Tower in October 2002, which was attended by nearly 500 Latino community activists, other trade unionists, broadcasters from every station in Chicago, state and local political leaders, members of Congress, and the soon-to-be governor of Illinois. With Dick’s and other broadcasters’ continuous encouragement, the Telemundo broadcasters endured a yearlong organizing drive and, on April 2, 2003, voted in favor of AFTRA representation. 

Over the years, Dick also demonstrated a broad understanding of issues that are important to performers. He represented Chicago on the Large Merger Committee for five years and campaigned vigorously for the merger of SAG and AFTRA in two different merger votes. He was a member of AFTRA’s Strategic Planning and Organizing Committee throughout its existence. He lent continuous support to AFTRA and SAG members during the 2000 commercials strike and worked tirelessly to educate his fellow broadcasters about the issues underlying the strike and their importance to SAG and AFTRA actors. Dick was also an enthusiastic supporter of the Kaufherr Resource Center, Chicago’s actor training and education center. 

Dick’s national service to the union is equally noteworthy. He was first elected to the AFTRA National Board in 1992 and served continuously until stepping down in 2007. In addition to his service on many national committees, he was a member of the National Broadcast Steering Committee, and he participated in numerous national negotiations. He was AFTRA’s second national vice president from 1999–2001 and national vice president from 2001–11.

Dick was inducted into the prestigious Midwest-NATAS Silver Circle in 2001, which is bestowed only on Midwestern broadcasters with significant achievements and whose careers span at least 25 years. During his induction speech, he emphasized the importance of unions for all professional broadcasters. He also received the coveted George Foster Peabody Award in 1984 and won eight local Emmys. 

WBBM news reporter and fellow former Chicago Local President Craig Dellimore said, “I considered Dick a mentor, a dear friend and a colleague. He meant so much to so many people. Dick is the reason why I got involved in union service at the local and, later, national level. He also inspired me to work at the highest levels of professionalism in my own career. He leaves a large void in our city, our union and our profession.” 

Dick continued to work up until this last Saturday. His political talk show Back on the Beat with Dick Kay was a popular weekly radio event. Dick spent every Saturday discussing state, local and national politics in the classic Dick Kay style: tough, curmudgeonly, humorous and always very thoughtful. 

Dick made a huge impact during his life. He is truly the model for journalists and trade unionists in Chicago and across the country. The Chicago Local mourns his passing and sends our deepest gratitude to his family for allowing him to serve his union so faithfully for so many years. Dick leaves behind a wife, Kay Snodgrass, as well as three sons, Eric, Steve and Brett Snodgrass.

In unity,

Charles Andrew Gardner
SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local President