Seattle Times reports–KOMO 4 anchors and reporters at Sinclair Broadcast Group’s Seattle station voted 9-7 last Wednesday to end their representation by SAG-AFTRA. The decision followed a July decertification petition filed with the National Labor Relations Board; a majority of the 22-member bargaining unit had signed it. The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation provided free legal help. The NLRB is expected to certify the result this week unless SAG-AFTRA objects.
The union has declined comment. Employees and management offered no public explanation. Foundation vice president Patrick Semmens said workers often seek decertification when they feel the union delivers little value. SAG-AFTRA sets only a minimum salary of about $66,000—lower than some prior job postings—and staff negotiate individual contracts. Members pay a $246.14 annual base fee plus 1.575% work dues. Semmens noted complaints about poor communication and “forced dues.”
Sixteen of 22 eligible voters participated. A 2019 decertification effort failed when most staff chose to keep the union. SAG-AFTRA has previously offered leadership training and support in the Seattle market. Separately, 13 KOMO photographers, represented by IATSE, filed their own petition to leave that union in May.