SAG-AFTRA announced today that it had received a key endorsement from the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), the top nonpartisan association of major Hispanic national organizations and distinguished Hispanic leaders, in support of the Spanish Broadcasting System’s (SBS) unionized employees.
“We are honored that the NHLA leadership passed a resolution that acknowledged the endemic workplace abuses and unlawful terminations faced by SBS employees before and after exercising their right to unionize,” said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. “NHLA leaders are champions for our Latino communities and their resolution means that our unionized SBS employees have the highest level of support behind them. We are living in a critical time. Latinos are under attack in this country and we need to hold employers accountable and ensure that they have the best operating standards for their employees. Our union is doing its part to fight for the rights of Latino workers in the media industry and we will not rest until we win a fair contract for employees at La Raza and MEGA.”
“Latinos in the entertainment and broadcast industries are not just the big celebrities you see on television or in film, they are also hard workers who support themselves and their families through their jobs. SAG-AFTRA is taking a stand for Latinos in the industry and this was an important issue for the NHLA to support,” said Hector Sanchez, chair of the NHLA.
The NHLA’s Board of Directors met on September 13 and unanimously passed a resolution in support of the unionized SBS employees stating, “the NHLA rebukes unfair treatment and gross injustices of Latino workers in the highly influential entertainment/broadcast industry.”
SAG-AFTRA is currently trying to negotiate a fair contract for SBS’ unionized employees, even though the employer has stymied conversations for a year. Recently, Region 31 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Los Angeles, after a lengthy investigation, authorized issuance of a formal complaint on multiple unfair labor practice charges filed by the union against SBS. Additionally, the union delivered a letter to Julie Su, the Labor Commissioner of California, calling upon her and her department to investigate SBS’ rampant violations of California wage and hour laws. SAG-AFTRA has received immense support from the community and from elected officials in its fight against SBS. This growing list includes Dolores Huerta, CHIRLA, the California Federation of Labor, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, Los Angeles Councilmembers Paul Koretz and David Ryu, as well as Supervisors Hilda Solis and Mark Ridley-Thomas.