MELISSA SANCHEZ;
Yakima Herald-Republic 

GRANGER – On strike, off the air.

That’s how Radio KDNA employees decided Saturday to protest the termination of two people who they say were fired for trying to join a union. Management says that had nothing to do with it.

Now, employees of the Spanish-language public broadcaster said they will return to work only when their former co-workers do too. In the meantime, static replaces all programming on 91.9 FM.

Scores of KDNA listeners showed up to support station employees throughout the day Saturday while they picketed in front of the Granger building, and later at a community rally at Hisey Park.

“We no longer have a voice here,” KDNA night supervisor Manuel Lopez said. “In the 29 years of this station’s existence, we have never had to go off the air because of a labor conflict like this.”