StoryCorps workers picket fundraising gala amid contract dispute

Dozens of unionized StoryCorps employees rallied outside of the Brooklyn Museum the evening of Oct. 8 during a fundraising gala for the non-profit in order to highlight workers' push for a new union contract that secures improved working conditions and wages.

Passersby joined in on the action as the small gathering turned into a larger crowd whilst gala attendees trickled discreetly behind the crowd into the museum. The picket circle and rally speeches were accompanied by local musicians, union representatives, neighborhood allies and a giant inflatable rat. 

The union at StoryCorps was founded in 2018 and staff have spent the past year negotiating a new contract with management. 

“We had our latest contract signed in 2023, which expired at the beginning of this year. We've now been at the bargaining table for 11 months,” said Stefan Weiner, a union organizer and production assistant at StoryCorps. “We've had two rounds of layoffs. One in 2024 and one in 2025. They basically cut the workforce in almost half. But we are being asked to do the same amount of work.” 

Between 2024 and 2025, the organization laid off 65 of 130 employees – 40 of them being union members, according to Weiner. Currently, the organization has 65 employees left, 20 of whom are union members.

In the last 11 months, the union has been bargaining for seniority protections against arbitrary layoffs, industry-standard wages, and stability against long-term employees being replaced by contractors.

“StoryCorps wants to hit one million dollars in fundraising in that building tonight,” StoryCorps organizer and bilingual facilitator Micaela Camacho-Tenreiro addressed the crowd in front of the museum. “One million dollars covers our CEO Sandy Clark's salary, our founder Dave Isay's salary, and the fees that we give to Holland & Knight– a union-busting attorney firm. We are here today to ask StoryCorps to put its money where its mouth is.”

StoryCorps was founded in 2003 by Dave Isay. The non-profit records, preserves and shares stories about the experiences of everyday Americans, told through podcasts, animated shorts, and books. Some of its supporters include NPR and the National Endowment for the Arts. 

“StoryCorps respects its union-represented employees and their right to express their views," a spokesperson for the nonprofit said in a statement to The Chief. "The organization values the contributions of its staff and remains committed to the collective bargaining process. Negotiations are ongoing, and the parties have made meaningful progress, though important differences remain. StoryCorps' goal is to reach a fair and sustainable agreement that supports its employees while ensuring the organization can continue fulfilling its mission for years to come."

The union rally began around 6 p.m. and started off as a small gathering, with crowds peaking around 7 p.m. The progressive music group Rude Mechanical Orchestra led the demonstrators into a high-energy and upbeat picket before speakers began addressing the crowd. Speakers included Communications Workers of America Local 1180 Secretary-Treasurer Robin Blair-Batte, Teamsters Local 804 organizer Tony Rosario. 

“StoryCorps wants to illuminate the humanity in us all,” Camacho-Tenreiro told the crowd, “StoryCorps wants to create cultural and narrative change. But the thing is that change has to happen from within. How are we supposed to model important conversations when we're stonewalled at the bargaining table?” 

According to ProPublica, StoryCorps’ current CEO, Sandra Clark makes a little over $330,000 a year. The average StoryCorps worker makes between $50,000 while producers that have worked at the organization for ten years make as much as $72,000 according to a flyer handed out at the rally. The top earners at the non-profit, aside from Clark, are founder Dave Isay and Chief Revenue Officer Stacy Margolis. 

“The union has become one of the things that has kept me going," Weiner said. "The community that we have, and the camaraderie keeps things together. It’s the glue holding us together.”