June 18, 2026
A majority of employees at Ocean State Media, Rhode Island’s joint NPR and PBS organization, voted to form a union with SAG-AFTRA Wednesday.
Jessica Maher, SAG-AFTRA’s executive director for New England’s local chapter, said “we won with more than 70% yes vote and we look forward to bargaining.”
In a petition to Ocean State Media leadership delivered on May 4, a group of the organization’s hosts, reporters and producers said “at a time of unprecedented challenges for public media and journalism in general, we seek a more active role in decision-making about the organization and the future of our work.”
Ocean State Media was formed following a merger in 2024 between The Public’s Radio, Rhode Island’s local NPR affiliate, and Rhode Island PBS. The combined organization provides news and cultural coverage for Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts.
The organization lost about $1 million in federal funding last year, which led to 24 voluntary buyouts, said Pam Johnston, CEO of Ocean State Media, in an interview with Rhode Island Monthly last month. Johnston did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.
Also in the May petition, the group called for “fair and transparent compensation, clear role expectations, and a say in determining our protections and benefits.”
The union currently represents neighboring stations, including New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) which joined in 2021 and and WBUR in Boston which joined in 2019.
This story was written by NEPM reporter Nirvani Williams and edited by NEPM’s Executive Editor of News Elizabeth Román. No Ocean State Media official or news staff reviewed this story before it was published.
This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative. It was originally published by New England Public Media.
