Service & Solidarity Spotlight: WGAE Members at RadicalMedia Ratify First Union Contract

Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

Staff at RadicalMedia—who are represented by Writers Guild of America East (WGAE)—have ratified their first collective bargaining agreement.

These WGAE members are behind popular nonfiction titles such as “This Is a Gardening Show,” “Conversations with a Killer,” “Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich” and more. Highlights of the contract include new rate minimums that increase 2% annually, paid holidays and bereavement leave, comp days for extra days worked, and more.

WGAE Vice President of Film, Television and Streaming Michael Rauch said, “We’re thrilled RadicalMedia workers secured their first union contract. This agreement builds on protections nonfiction production workers have gone without for too long, including rest periods, pay when production is paused on short notice, paid holidays and health care contributions. With RadicalMedia joining a growing list of organized nonfiction shops, the message to the industry is clear: union standards are becoming the norm.”

“We’re excited to have reached our first union contract with RadicalMedia and consider it an important milestone on the path to organizing the entire Nonfiction industry,” the bargaining committee said. “We’re especially proud to have won participation in the Flex Plan, as health insurance is often out of reach for those of us working in a freelance environment.”