The union representing journalists at Cascade PBS is ramping up its organizing activities in an effort to draw attention to a stalemate in contract negotiations that began in July 2024.
The bargaining unit, which represents 23 employees, is represented by the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild and seeks a Seattle-scale livable wage for its members. Its first contract with management,
approved in 2021, expired last September. In February, the union criticized management for an “unfair contract proposal” and
authorized a strike pledge.
“The union is interested in finding a compromise with the company and coming to a fair deal that works for everybody, and the company really didn’t seem to have the same attitude for mediation,” Josh Cohen, a city reporter and member of the bargaining committee, said of an April 9 mediation session. Management returned to the table with a month-old wage proposal that was not suitable to the union’s requests, he said. The union countered by offering “a bottom-line number that we felt was fair, and they just didn’t come anywhere close to it.” The next session is Wednesday.
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