We, the on and off-air staff at St. Louis Public Radio, are taking a historic step by becoming the first public radio station to form a union in the State of Missouri.

St. Louis Public Radio, an NPR member station with transmitters in St. Louis, Quincy, and Rolla, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022 — a half-century’s worth of independent, in-depth, and unbiased nonprofit news and community programming that follows the ebbs and flows of life in our region.

We have delved into the intricacies of social movements and the impacts of a global pandemic. We have highlighted the beauty of those working to bring a smile to people’s faces. We have detailed the creativity of engineering students turning trash into fashion treasures. This consequential coverage that defines our region would not be possible without the folks who are working and reporting in our communities every single day.

All this work has been done amidst issues at the station that, in aggregate, and over time, have eroded our strength as a non-profit news organization: a lack of transparency, few advancement opportunities, high turnover, and continued cuts to our overall benefits and compensation.

From our journalists and producers to our development and support staff, we are deeply united in our efforts to take up a seat at the bargaining table. In doing so, we are committing to ensuring that St. Louis Public Radio, as an organization, thrives as a place where all staff members feel valued and can see real paths to career longevity.

We recognize the progress the station has made around diversity, equity, and inclusion over the last couple of years. Our actions today affirm those gains and underscore the need for good work and behavior to be codified as a means to continue pushing it forward. Today is a rededication of this public media organization's mission in serving every resident of our communities who deserves a strong and vibrant local NPR station.

In January 2023, staffers presented St. Louis Public Radio CEO Tina Pamintuan, the University of Missouri — St. Louis, and the University of Missouri System with a statement of interest signed by an overwhelming majority of our bargaining unit. The statement invites the parties to voluntarily recognize the St. Louis Public Radio Guild, with the Communications Workers of America serving as our bargaining representatives. Yet, they declined but we prevailed. In a landslide victory, our workers voted to ratify the STLPR Guild on June 28, 2023.

This movement has been a long time coming and we are incredibly appreciative of the tireless work our staff has put in on these efforts. We’re excited to take this step forward together and continue the courageous work our colleagues of color began several years ago.

Newsrooms across the country are unionizing at increasing rates and seeing tangible results. We join our industry colleagues to bring our community the local news they deserve for years to come.

The time is now for long-term, sustainable progress.