TKC Told You So: Union Wins Against KCUR

Our most loyal readers should remember this . . . 

Thanks to KICK-ASS KANSAS CITY INSIDERS we shared news about unionization efforts at KCUR LAST YEAR.

And now our bloggy gossip has turned into a democratic showdown fact of life and dramatic change in Kansas City news gathering . . .

Since we broke this "news" last year . . . Allow us a few insights . . . 

- Add this event to one of the many reasons that the non-profit news model doesn't really work. Union jobs with benefits are nice . . . But even corporate begging can't completely subsidize hefty pensions and already we notice this audio outlet scaling back on their efforts to replace the paper as this town's news source of record. 

- We talked with a newsie who ended his career at this place. He was sought after by many news outlets but decided to go from this place to writing mutual fund copy that nobody reads. Journalism is a risky career and we can only infer that the politics within KCUR aren't as "progressive" as they might seem to their audience. 

- Of course we support collective bargaining and genuinely wish these newsies the best. But there is always a consequence to union fights that resonate over months and years. So many shut down fast food places, coffee shops and smaller factories can attest to this truism.

Still . . . Tonight word of the union victory lap has garnered some online support already . . .

By an overwhelming majority, editorial staffers at KCUR have agreed to unionize and join the Communication Workers of America.

More than 30 of the 39 eligible employees voted in favor of unionization. Among those eligible to vote were non-supervisory employees at Classical KC, as well as KCUR-based staffers for the Kansas News Service, the Midwest Newsroom and Harvest Public Media. They are all employees of KCUR and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

KCUR staffers vote to unionize. Negotiations will begin with the University of Missouri

KCUR is the latest of several NPR affiliates to unionize. Employees at St. Louis Public Radio voted to form a union in June 2023 and are still working to finalize a contract with the University of Missouri.

Developing . . .