NLRB Issues Official Complaint Against SBS

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, October 10, 2017

SAG-AFTRA has announced that Region 31 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Los Angeles has issued a complaint against Spanish Broadcasting Systems (SBS) after finding merit to a myriad of alleged unfair labor practice charges filed by the union against the media company. SBS owns Spanish-language music stations KLAX-FM (LA RAZA) and KXOL-FM (MEGA FM) in Los Angeles.The two outlets voted to unionize and join SAG-AFTRA in August, 2016.

The consolidated complaint claims that SBS violated the National Labor Relations Act with "meaningless surface bargaining," "interrogating employees and threatening them with reprisals if they support unionization" and "unlawfully terminating eight employees in retaliation for their union activities and without providing SAG-AFTRA with notice and an opportunity to bargain."

NLRB is seeking an order requiring that the terminated employees be reinstated with back pay, plus interest and any other consequential damages such as medical expenses. In addition, the NLRB is also seeking reimbursments from SBS to the union for its bargaining costs and expenses associated with "SBS's illegal bad faith bargaining." The trial date has been set for December 11.

"We are pleased by the National Labor Relations Board's decision," said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. "Today, the eight unlawfully terminated SBS employees have been vindicated. Employers who refuse to treat their staff with dignity and pay them lawfully mandated wages should be held accountable for their actions and SBS is no exception."

In response to the NLRB complaint against Spanish Broadcasting System, SBS General Counsel Richard D. Lara said in a statement, "SBS continues to deny these allegations as being false, baseless, and inflammatory. No further comment at this time since the matter is in litigation."