WGAE Non-Fiction

Workers at True Win Backpay for Wage Theft

Our campaign to raise industry-wide standards and improve working conditions won a big victory today. The Writers Guild of America, East is very pleased to announced True Entertainment has entered into a settlement with the New York Attorney General’s office that will require it to pay $411,000 in restitution to hundreds of employees (mostly AP’s and PA’s) who did not receive overtime despite routinely working well over forty hours per week. (Variety Article)

If you were or are a PA or an AP at True between January 1st, 2009 and today, you are likely eligible for a portion of the settlement.
Contact us right now for more details: ichristie@wgaeast.org

Additional investigations in the reality TV production industry are ongoing. True is one of the companies currently being investigated by the AG’s office with many other companies also being looked at.

We are particularly interested in hearing from people in the following companies: Original Media, ITV/Kirkstall, Leftfield (Loud, Sirens, etc).

Click Here to Fill Out a Brief Survey

In 2013, the Attorney General’s office began investigating production companies in Nonfiction TV at the request of the Writers Guild of America, East. Hundreds of Nonfiction TV employees testified directly to the Attorney General’s office, and in 2014, Nonfiction TV employees and allies testified to the City Council regarding long hours with no overtime.

An investigation by the AG’s office found that production assistants and associate producers at True Entertainment often worked 50 hours per week, and sometimes as many as 72 hours, yet did not receive overtime pay as required by law. True Entertainment paid these workers weekly or daily salaries, with no premiums for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, and without keeping accurate records of hours worked.

While there are exemptions from state and federal overtime coverage, including for certain high-level, highly compensated, or professional employees, the Attorney General’s office determined that none of these exemptions applied to PA’s and AP’s at True.

The settlement funds will be distributed to Production Assistants, Associate Producers, and other employees who performed equivalent tasks for True Entertainment. The settlement also requires True Entertainment to analyze the duties of Producers to determine if they are also entitled to retroactive overtime pay.

 

WGAE Non-Fiction

Picket line at ITV Studios LA

Today, 50 people including Writers Guild of America, West and SAG-AFTRA members rallied at ITV Studios in LA to demand better pay and improving working conditions in Nonfiction television and Leftfield in particular.

ITV owns Leftfield Entertainment, and this action is part of the recent escalation in the fight to win a fair contract at Leftfield.  Variety Article.

Chants included: “ITV, you can’t hide. We can see your greedy side.”
“Hey there, ITV! How about THIS for Reality!”

Three weeks ago in pouring rain over 60 Nonfiction TV freelancers and allies held a protest at A&E/History Channel, Leftfield’s most prominent network client.

Earlier this week, three NY City Council members, Brad Lander, Cory Johnson, and Daneek Miller, sent letters to execs at A&E, AMC, Fox, and Viacom.  They demanded to know from the networks:
“What labor standards does your network have to ensure that the production companies which you contract to make your nonfiction programs (e.g., Leftfield) pay their employees living wages with reasonable benefits, and sustainable work schedules?”

Next week will be the next bargaining session with Leftfield. We hope to be closer to signing a contract at one of the largest Nonfiction TV production companies in NYC. The movement is growing with over 800 people signed on to the industry-wide demands for a fair industry, public actions, and bargaining at the largest production company in NYC!

WGAE Non-Fiction

Action at A+E – Bringing the Fight to the Networks

Yesterday, despite the rain, over 65 TV freelancers and supporters picketed A&E headquarters in Manhattan. This spirited action is one of the largest, public actions in Nonfiction TV history.
Press Clip

People in the industry are no longer willing to accepting low pay, lack of adequate healthcare options, unsafe working environments, and unsustainable schedules for such an extremely profitable industry.

The chants included: “Fantasy Budgets for Reality TV”,
“Hey there, A&E / How about this for reality?”, and
“Leftfield/Low Pay/No We Won’t Go Away.”

Why A&E? – They are the biggest network client of Leftfield.  In the ongoing negotiations, Leftfield laid blame squarely on television networks for controlling the economics of making nonfiction shows by paying low fees, thereby forcing Leftfield to propose extremely low, sub-standard pay rates for their employees.

To Join the fight to raise standards,
meet with an organizer from the Writers Guild,
or join the Industry-wide Organizing Committee.
Contact us at: ichristie@wgaeast.org

WGAE Non-Fiction

Victory at Peacock Productions

Producers and APs at NBCUniversal’s Peacock Productions have voted to join the Writers Guild!
Crain’s Article on the Peacock Victory

This is another major victory for the campaign to raise standards across the nonfiction TV industry.

It’s been almost four years since Producers and APs officially filed for a unio election at Peacock, and more than three years since the vote took place in June 2013.

Management fought the union every step of the way. They filed an appeal of the election claiming that Producers were not employees, but supervisors, and thus their votes shouldn’t be counted. This was one of the many tactics the company used to fight freelancer producer’s right to organize.

Despite the companies legal delays, producers have the right to organize. Earlier this month, the NLRB ruled that the producers were NOT supervisors, and the ballots could be counted! Late yesterday the box was finally opened, the ballots were counted, and…..WE WON!

As exciting as our victory is, it’s one part in the overall fight for better working conditions and higher standards in the nonfiction TV industry.  We are closer than ever to the victory of building more sustainable careers in our industry.

WGAE Non-Fiction

Filed for a Union Election at Leftfield

new logo
We are pleased to announce that we have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board on behalf of the production employees at Leftfield Entertainment to have a secret ballot union election.

Over the past several months we have met with hundreds of Leftfield employees and there is overwhelming support to form a union in order to make improvements at Leftfield. This is a huge step in improving industry-wide standards.

Over the past five years Leftfield has grown from a small operation to the largest production company in New York – a company now worth several hundred million dollars. Setting a decent standard for all of the hardworking employees at Leftfield is important not only for those who will work there, but also for setting standards across the industry. If you want to make industry-wide changes in your rates and working conditions, you cannot ignore a company as large and as wealthy as Leftfield. You have worked hard to make Leftfield a success. Now is the time for you to share in that success.

In case you did not see this, a group of Leftfield employees drafted a letter about the organizing effort. You can find it here:
http://nonfictionunited.org/2015/08/30/why-we-are-organizing-at-leftfield/

The Writers Guild believes that the choice of whether or not to form a union should be made in a free and fair election without interference from company executives or managers. It’s up to the employees to make the choice themselves. In recent union campaigns that we supported like Gawker, Vice and Salon, companies have respected this right and remained neutral. We have formally asked Leftfield to respect this right and remain neutral in the process.

See the link to our letter to Brent here.

Soon the Labor Board will set a date for a secret ballot election. We are sending this to you because you will get a vote. Ultimately it is up to you if Leftfield must negotiate for improvements or not. And we will be in touch as the union election approaches.

To get involved contact Isham at ichristie@wgaeast.org or call: 212-767-7802

WGAE Non-Fiction

City Council Hearing on “Sweatshop” Conditions in Nonfiction TV

Civil Service and Labor Committee Hearing

“It is important to the City of New York to encourage the growth of well-paying, stable jobs in the creative economy. Nonfiction television, an expanding and lucrative industry, is important to this growth. The jobs it provides should meet certain standards that our community values, not the least of which is adherence to the law,” said Councilman Miller.

“What these big companies have figured out is how to squeeze the most out of their employees. These companies contract to make programs on ever-shorter schedules, which means the producers, associate producers, editors, and crews have to work ever-longer hours. These companies don’t pay overtime for these longer hours,” said David Von Taylor, nonfiction television producer for over 25 years. “The current business model of non-fiction television- which depends on squeezing freelancers beyond the limits of the law and their endurance- is not sustainable for me, for my colleagues, or New City.”

Press coverage of the hearing:

WGAE Non-Fiction

Sharp Employees Voting in Union Election

Sharp Employees Voting in Union Election

The industry-wide campaign to raise standards in the industry may get another boost in the coming weeks.

Many former and current employees at Sharp Entertainment are voting in a union election.

Winning a union election at Sharp will put producers and APs in the best position to advance the benefits and treatment of producers and APs throughout the entire industry. Check out this page for more information.