A Bitter Dispute at Two of L.A.'s Most Popular FM Stations

They don’t advertise it on the radio, but MEGA and La Raza, two of the city’s most popular FM stations, are entrenched in a bitter union dispute with their on-air talent. The stations are owned by the Spanish Broadcasting System, which operates 17 radio stations in the United States and Puerto Rico.

Last year, La Raza (KLAX/KXOL 97.9 FM) and MEGA (96.3 FM) became the first Spanish-language stations in the country to unionize. Harboring a host of grievances against management, staff members who produce the on-air programming voted overwhelmingly to join the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

The union claims the stations have been unlawfully retaliating against their members ever since. Eight members of the bargaining unit were terminated by SBS in March. Since the two parties started contract negotiations in mid-September, the union has filed six charges with the National Labor Relations Board for unfair labor practices:

—On March 3, Erika Garza, the on-air personality and afternoon host known to regular listeners as La Huerquilla, was terminated by La Raza during an on-air commercial break from her show.

—On March 8, MEGA terminated one of the morning show hosts of El Vacilón de la Mañana.

—On March 24, La Raza terminated six employees who held various on-air jobs at the station.

Read more: http://www.laweekly.com/news/la-raz-and-mega-are-the-first-spanish-language-stations-in-the-us-to-unionize-8177605