A group of KEYT television station staffers gathered at Santa Barbara City Hall on Friday to hold a press conference about ongoing contract negotiations between their union and the station’s parent company, News-Press & Gazette (NPG).

According to employees from the station, NPG has failed to fully negotiate with union representatives and has not responded to demands for better pay, adequate staffing, and other employee benefits.

KEYT employees are represented by the International Cinematographers Guild (ICG) and IATSE Local 600.

Raquel Ruiz, a representative for IATSE Local 600, said one of the main sticking points between the two sides is wages. Ruiz said NPG originally sent an offer that was below the California minimum wage.

The Missouri-based NPG acquired KEYT, an ABC-affiliated station, in 2012.

Owen Pratt, a news producer at KEYT, said many station staff make under $18 an hour. He added that some journalists work second jobs to make ends meet, and the station has lost employees because they could not afford to live in Santa Barbara.

“For nearly a year, our union has tried to negotiate a fair contract with our parent company News-Press & Gazette,” Pratt said. “But time after time again they have refused to pay us a living wage or hire enough people to keep us running.”

Pratt continued by saying the low pay has caused high turnover as employees leave, and some positions are not filled with new hires. He added that constant changes have led to inadequate training, inconsistent shifts and burnout for employees.

Gene Silva, a videographer and editor, estimated that the station has lost three to four people a year, including anchors, producers, videographers, and other positions.

Silva said empty positions like chief videographer have created confusion for other staffers due to not having a supervisor to organize schedules, inform people of last-minute changes, or oversee the quality of video packages.

“We’ve covered so many events here, and we’re so entrenched in our community,” Silva said. “But with the way that NPG is treating us, we might fade out of existence.”

In addition to the mental toll, Pratt said the lack of staffing could have a dangerous effect on the community that relies on the station for news coverage.

“We have communities that rely on us for things like wildfires, different natural disasters, or just anything in general,” Pratt said. “If we can’t be out there to support them, we don’t know where else to turn to.”

KEYT covers the region of Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, and San Luis Obispo County, according to Pratt.

Ruiz did not say what the next step is if NPG does not start meeting some of the union’s demands, but says that all options are on the table, including boycotts and strikes.

The union members started a petition online demanding that the owners of NPG offer a livable wage to KEYT employees.

A representative for NPG responded with a statement saying the company will continue to work toward a fair contract.

“KEYT has negotiated in good faith to reach a contract with IATSE, and we fully intend to continue to negotiate in an effort to reach an agreement,” the company said in a statement.