http://www.politico.com/media/tipsheets/morning-media/2017/07/14/trump-tangles-with-the-media-again-npr-nears-strike-anti-trump-late-night-shows-dominate-emmy-nominations-001310July 14, 2017
Becky Sullivan, a producer on All Things Considered and a member of the bargaining team told me that has the situation has not been so dire in recent history at the radio network. “They’re setting up the stage for [Friday] to be a dramatic day,” Sullivan said. Management came out “swinging for the fences” trying to rewrite the SAG-AFTRA contract line by line, reducing new hire salaries, bringing in a culture of negotiations and more. A federal mediator was brought in this week. Meanwhile, Sullivan said the staff are confused with the harsh approach when management praises them for revenue and audience numbers that are at record levels.
—Staff morale at NPR is “in the dumps,” according to White House correspondent Tamara Keith, and for weeks, staffers have taken to the internet in in support of the labor group, highlighting their work through the hashtag #WeMakeNPR and website. It’s not clear what will happen to NPR shows if a deal is not worked out tomorrow and there is a strike.
—NPR’s statement: “NPR and SAG-AFTRA are having productive discussions with the assistance of a federal mediator and continue to work toward a mutually satisfactory agreement that meets the needs of NPR’s employees and our operations. Our goal is to make this organization economically sustainable for the long-term – and, importantly, enable NPR to invest more resources in expanding audiences, innovating its multi-platform journalism, and adding newsroom staff to meet that growth and support current staff.”
