PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—News staff at WHYY, Philadelphia’s public radio and TV station, voted 70-1 on Oct. 30 to join SAG-AFTRA. “It’s official! With 99% of the vote, we have won our union!” the WHYY Union exulted on Twitter. The union will represent almost 90 workers, but management is disputing whether 11 of them are eligible to be in the bargaining unit. That issue has to be settled before talks on a first contract can begin. Management had refused to recognize the union voluntarily when it presented cards signed by more than 80% of the staff in early October, saying that it wanted to have the chance to discuss the implications of joining a union with employees. The union’s petition said that talented workers were leaving “due to untenable working conditions,” and “we want to be able to stay and build our careers at WHYY without sacrificing our well-being.” WHYY Union representatives told the Philadelphia Inquirer that they did not want to discuss more specific issues, saying in a statement that they are “looking forward to beginning a democratic process to hear from our members about what they would value most from a contract.” Read more
