Workers at Nonfiction Production Company Lucky 8 Launch Union Drive

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The Writers Guild of America East is supporting another effort to organize a nonfiction production company, specifically this time around.

In collaboration with employees at Lucky 8, a company based in Stamford, Connecticut, the union is attempting to establish a union presence within the organization. While the WGA East did not provide details about the exact number of workers or specific roles involved, they declared in a statement on Tuesday that a significant proportion of this workforce has expressed interest in unionizing, as evidenced by signed union cards. The WGA East has requested that Lucky 8 management consider their request for voluntary recognition.

Lucky 8 has recently been involved in hit shows aired on Investigation Discovery, MTV, Discovery+, Netflix, and National Geographic. Some of their latest projects include “Unlocked: A Jail Experiment” (2024) on Netflix and “Extraordinary Birder With Christian Cooper” (2023) on National Geographic. They are also part of the popular series “60 Days In” on the A&E Network, as well as “The Food That Built America” on The History Channel.

In a letter on Tuesday, the workers participating in the organizing effort clearly stated their collective aspiration for a more prosperous future at Lucky 8 and within the realm of nonfiction production as a whole. The group underscored that through this campaign, they seek to negotiate aspects like wages, work environment, benefits, job security matters, along with opportunities for growth in both community and professional development.

The group expressed that joining forces through unionization is a positive move aimed at further improving our current partnership with management, fostering collaboration that benefits everyone. It also presents us with a chance to enhance our collective efficiency, ultimately securing a thriving future for both our team and Lucky 8 as a united entity.

For more than a decade, The Writers Guild East has been spearheading the organization of nonfiction production companies. Lately, they’ve intensified their initiatives with successful campaigns at McGee Media, producer of “Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.,” and RadicalMedia, producer of “Summer of Soul.” In September, the union also started an organizing campaign at A+E Factual Studios, home to “Dance Moms: A New Era” and “The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard.

In a statement, Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, president of WGA East, highlighted that the staff at Lucky 8 Productions are part of a broader struggle. “Workers in nonfiction television and film are uniting across industries to secure essential union benefits,” she stated. “The employees at Lucky 8 have spoken up, now it’s crucial for management to honor their decision by acknowledging the Lucky 8 Union without further ado.

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2025-01-14 19:28