We, the undersigned employees of KCUR – including Classical KC, Kansas News Service, The Midwest Newsroom, and Harvest Public Media – part of the University of Missouri system, are hereby stating our intention to unionize through the Communication Workers of America.
Over the decades that KCUR has operated, our work has made this organization a beacon of truth and integrity. As our organization continues to grow and develop to better serve the community, we seek a more active role in the shared future of this organization.
Through our efforts, we wish to secure improved, more stable working conditions, competitive pay and benefits that accurately reflect the media market, and better job protection in the increasingly volatile market of journalism.
Our existing ecosystem at KCUR is a unique bright spot in the world of public media. However, it is often maintained and protected only by specific individuals rather than the organization as a whole. We need systemic protections and changes to ensure that the quality of work we produce and the quality of the environment in which we create it retains that brightness in the long term.
While we recognize the existing work of our lead team and management, we believe the best way to accomplish these goals is by having a true, collective voice in our organization. KCUR is continually working to become a more equitable community-facing organization, but those efforts should also be extended internally. As we strive to more accurately reflect the community we cover, we need to ensure that we retain, support, and cultivate the talent we bring into the station.
We want to produce the highest-quality news and content that serves our audience — but we can only do this work and serve our community well by creating a work environment that is supportive, transparent, and equitable.
We will build this union by working together, educating each other, and uplifting our collective voices. We will be transparent and share information as we collect it. We will handle internal conflict and disparate opinions democratically, honoring each person. Our decision to unionize is made by an overwhelming majority of eligible employees at our station, and as such, our union will represent each of those workers and our needs.
We make KCUR, and our voices deserve to be heard.
In solidarity,
Savannah Hawley-Bates
Zach Perez
Celisa Calacal
Sam Zeff
Peggy Lowe
Nomin Ujiyediin
Carlos Moreno
Brooke Knoll
Jodi Fortino
Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga
Claudia Brancart
Dylan Lysen
Jessica Cornelison
Halle Jackson
Noah Taborda
Elizabeth Ruiz
Kavahn Mansouri
Shawn Harrel
Lawrence Brooks IV
Julie Denesha
Byron Love
Paul Nyakatura
Laurie Arbore
Michael Byars
Allison Harris
Celia Llopis-Jepsen