Today, the content staff of WFAE announced its intention to form a union with SAG-AFTRA and become the first public radio station in the Carolinas to do so.
“As the hosts, reporters, producers and other content creators behind Charlotte’s NPR news source, our goal is to ensure WFAE is a safe and nurturing place to work. We deserve a seat at the table in making big decisions about the station’s future and in negotiating our wages, salaries and working conditions,” said the organizing committee
“The fact that more than 70% of WFAE’s content creators signed the petition to form a union in North Carolina, one of the most challenging states in the nation for union organizing, signals a sea change,” said SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. “The pro-union, pro-worker movement is strong and can’t be contained by traditional thinking about where unions can and cannot succeed.”
WFAE has evolved into a news and cultural institution, providing the Charlotte region with around-the-clock news and entertainment programming that “informs, enriches, and inspires,” both on the radio and via digital platforms. Members of the bargaining unit are dedicated to bringing the highest quality news and information to the area’s diverse communities.
In the past three years, WFAE has experienced a period of major growth. The station has expanded its content staff — even adding a dedicated team for race and equity stories — and significantly enhanced the breadth and depth of its coverage. It is on the brink of opening a brand-new community engagement center in Charlotte’s Uptown.
“It’s an exciting and critical moment,” said the organizing committee. “We truly love WFAE and are proud to work here. We want to ensure its continued success, and we believe a long-term investment in staff will improve morale and reduce staff turnover. We encourage WFAE management to recognize our union. We look forward to beginning the collective bargaining process and building a stronger future together for employees present and future.”
About SAG-AFTRA
SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other entertainment and media professionals. SAG-AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. A proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO, SAG-AFTRA has national offices in Los Angeles and New York and local offices nationwide representing members working together to secure the strongest protections for entertainment and media artists into the 21st century and beyond. Visit SAG-AFTRA online at SAGAFTRA.org.