ST. LOUIS — ӣƵ Public Radio employees will have to hold an election to decide whether to join a union, after the University of Missouri system declined to voluntarily recognize the group.
The radio workers on Jan. 12 had submitted a statement of interest in forming a bargaining unit, in the hopes that the University of Missouri system would voluntarily recognize it. But the university system declined on Thursday, so the issue will be taken to a vote.
The radio station operates as part of the University of Missouri-ӣƵ.
Rachel Lippmann, local politics and criminal justice reporter at ӣƵ Public Radio, said the workers were “disappointed but not surprised” by the decision.
A spokesman for the university system said it wanted its employees to be assured that it is following the “democratic, secret ballot process.”
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“We’ve consistently taken that position with any group of employees that have signified an intent to form a union,” said Christian Basi, spokesman for the University of Missouri system.
The university system has roughly 23,000 employees. Of those, a little over 1,300 are union-eligible, Basi said.
Workers at the other two radio stations owned by the system — KBIA in Columbia and KCUR in Kansas City — are not represented by a union.
Lippmann said the radio workers have fielded questions from supporters wondering if they should withhold donations from the station, in order to push the university to recognize the union. Lippmann said the workers see that as “unnecessary escalation,” and that they want their workplace to be sustainable.
When they filed the initial statement of interest, the public radio workers said they were pushing for better pay, more communication between management and staff, and continued improvements in diversity, equity and inclusion.
They are hoping to organize a group of 42 people, including reporters, talk show hosts, part-time fill-in announcers, front desk workers and membership support staff. If the vote passes, the workers would be represented by Communications Workers of America.
As part of the documentation workers have to file in order to hold an election, they have to show that at least 30% of the employees in the proposed bargaining unit are interested in joining a union, said Todd Smith, who chairs the Missouri Board of Mediation. The board oversees union issues at state and local public entities, while the National Labor Relations Board oversees private sector union issues.
Lippmann said the form the radio workers submitted included 75% of the workers who would be represented by the union.
The next step is to schedule an election. The online ballot is usually kept open for two or three days, Smith said. If it passes, and as long as there are no disputes over the subsequent 10-day objection period, the union is certified.
The vast majority of state employees aren’t represented by a union, Smith said.
The United Media Guild represents reporters and photographers at the Post-Dispatch. The guild is a member of CWA.
Labor strife: Jim Gallagher points out that unions are winning more battles recently, including organizing victories at Starbucks cafes. David Nicklaus adds, however, that unions still represent just 6% of the private-sector workforce.
