Chicago Public Media, the non-profit parent company of both the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ radio, announced today the termination of 14 employees, which represents about 15% of the organization’s workforce.
The downsizing comes two years after the merger of WBEZ radio with the Sun-Times newspaper.
SAG-AFTRA, which represents the station’s unionized, content-producing workforce, said in a statement: “This involuntary layoff — coupled with positions that have not been filled in the last year — represents a significant reduction in WBEZ’s content unit.”
“These losses are devastating to our listeners and members,” the union continued. “The decision also contradicts [Chicago Public Media’s] stated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion — both at WBEZ and to communities of color that we serve.”
Listeners have begun to react to the news: