Employees of Pasadena-based radio station KPCC have voted to unionize with SAG-AFTRA, a spokesperson for the union confirmed to Variety.
Staff voted 35-26, according to an internal note sent Friday from Mark Crowley, the general manager of Southern California Public Radio. SCPR operates KPCC and two other California public radio stations in the Coachella Valley and Inland Empire, respectively.
The approval means that SAG-AFTRA has been authorized to serve as the bargaining representative for 65 KPCC reporters, producers, show hosts and news anchors, according to an announcement posted on SCPR’s website.
SCPR reaches nearly 600,000 listeners every week, according to its website. KPCC is one of the nation’s largest public radio stations, along with KQED and WNYC, both of which are represented by SAG-AFTRA.
Station employees had been advocating to unionize since November, according to SCPR’s announcement.
SAG and AFTRA merged last March. Radio stations were covered under AFTRA contracts prior to the merger. National Public Radio, the number one provider of radio content to public radio stations, is also represented by the group.
“We’re pleased and excited with the results of the union election at KPCC. We are looking forward to working with the new SAG-AFTRA bargaining unit in partnership with KPCC management to negotiate a first contract,” the union said in a statement issued Friday. “We are proud of the effort to organize a union at KPCC and believe that the employees’ commitment to positive engagement, along with a lot of hard work — delivered this great result.”
