KEYT-TV staff walk out, stage protest over contract disputes

On Wednesday, staff members at KEYT-TV in Santa Barbara exited the newsroom and assembled on the street from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., later relocating to the Santa Barbara Mission to coincide with the La Fiesta Pequeña event. The walkout included reporters, directors and videographers who are members of IATSE Local 600. Union business representative Raquel Ruiz criticized station management for delaying negotiations and withholding critical contract data, prompting the filing of three unfair-labor-practice complaints with the National Labor Relations Board.

Mediation through the California State Mediation and Conciliation Service broke down on July 22, leading union members to vote overwhelmingly for a strike. The dispute follows a narrow 17-13 vote to unionize in November 2024, with concerns that even veteran staff earn only slightly above minimum wage.