On Monday, July 31, representatives of NPR executives and NPR’s SAG-AFTRA journalists signed a new labor agreement that will last through July 30, 2020. This contract applies to more than 400 editorial and programming staff employed by NPR throughout the U.S.
During these negotiations, there was legitimate concern about whether we could reach an acceptable resolution. We’re relieved we were able to negotiate an agreement so we can continue our job of fulfilling NPR’s mission.
To everybody around the world who supported our effort, spread our story, and signed our petition, we are filled with gratitude. Your social media posts, calls, emails, and ultimately, your voice, helped us secure an acceptable deal that does not devalue our work.
No matter what, we do our work for you, our listeners and readers. However you consume NPR, we make it for you. You gave strength and resolve to our negotiators and reinforced to our members the necessity of our work. Thank you.
We also appreciate those of you who committed or extended your relationship with your member station during this crucial period. The staff of NPR’s more than 900 member stations also make NPR. Together, we do it for you. Thank you.
To our colleagues in public media and the media industry as a whole, your support gave us strength and resolve. Thank you.
To our NPR colleagues who stand alongside us every day and remained steadfast through our contract negotiations, we appreciate your support. We are proud to say WE make NPR together. Thank you.
Our negotiating team is to be celebrated and commended, as is the staff of SAG-AFTRA. They began negotiations faced with the most regressive contract proposal in NPR history. We are grateful for their tireless work and persistence.
We may have reached an agreement but we have not forgotten what brought us to this point.
While we will strive to improve relations between NPR’s executives and journalists, this cannot be a one-way discussion. We implore our CEO, Jarl Mohn, and other senior executives to fulfill their fundamental responsibility, and use the work we’ve done and the results we’ve delivered (and continue to deliver) to sufficiently secure NPR’s financial future.
Together, with both NPR executives and journalists doing their best work, we can build a bright future for NPR. We can continue to fulfill our mission to create a more informed public. for all of us. Thank you.
— NPR’s SAG-AFTRA journalists
July 31, 2017
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News Coverage
Variety SAG-AFTRA’s NPR Staffers Ratify New Deal
Current NPR, union approve new contract
Adweek NPR and SAG-AFTRA Have a New 3-Year Contract
Salon NPR workers just showed us why journalists need to organize
L.A. Times NPR union members will ask SAG-AFTRA to authorize a strike vote
CNN Money NPR and union reach late-night deal and avoid worker walkout
Media Inquiries
Media inquiries can be directed to SAG-AFTRA at
Interested in organizing?
Contact Steve Sidawi, SAG-AFTRA National Director for Organizing:
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NPR's SAG-AFTRA members share messages, photos and videos using the hashtag #WeMakeNPR on , and .