As a seasoned gamer who has spent countless hours immersed in the world of documentaries and reality TV shows, I can’t help but feel a sense of exhilaration upon hearing about the unionization at McGee Media. Much like leveling up in a game, this step forward signifies progress and better working conditions for those behind the scenes. The three percent annual wage increases, healthcare contributions, and paid vacation days are akin to finding hidden treasures in my gaming world.
The labor union representing employees at the factual television production company that produces PBS’s ‘Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’ has approved a first collective bargaining agreement with their employer.
The unionized team at McGee Media, including producers, researchers, and archivists, have approved a recently agreed-upon deal, as announced by the Writers Guild of America East on Monday. The entire 25-member negotiating group cast their votes in favor of the contract on Thursday.
In their declaration, the negotiating team asserted that the agreement establishes a pioneering benchmark within the realm of documentary television production, mirroring the forward-thinking ethos of McGee Media. The Hollywood Reporter has attempted to garner a response from McGee Media, which has previously created shows like ‘No Accident’ for HBO and ‘Gospel’ for PBS.
Under the fresh agreement, union employees are granted a 3% yearly raise and health benefits via the Entertainment Industry Flex Plan. This three-year pact also mandates 10 vacation days and a minimum of three sick days following two weeks on the job (annual workers will receive six days annually). The union claims that McGee Media is its inaugural nonfiction union workspace to offer paid parental leave within its contract.
Similar to numerous entertainment union agreements reached recently, this contract contains provisions regarding AI utilization within the workplace: It mandates prior notification and consultation if AI devices are implemented at the company. A 10-day heads up for “dark periods,” which are intervals during which production pauses, is mandatory; otherwise, compensation is due. The agreement also incorporates a clause guaranteeing “the right to disconnect.” Essentially, employees are not obligated to respond to work communications outside their days off or after 8 pm, unless prior notice is given or the messages are marked as urgent.
The unionization of McGee Media is a significant step in the ongoing effort by an Eastern writers’ union to expand their influence over reality TV and documentary production. Over the past two years, they’ve managed to establish unions at Story Syndicate and McGee Media, and are currently pushing for unionization at A+E Factual Studios and RadicalMedia. In a recent statement, WGA East president Lisa Takeuchi Cullen emphasized, “All workers in the non-fiction TV industry deserve the benefits of a union.
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2024-11-11 22:55