As a seasoned gamer who’s spent countless hours immersed in the dynamic world of nonfiction TV, I can wholeheartedly empathize with the plight of these hardworking individuals at A+E Factual Studios. The parallels between their struggles and the grind in my favorite games are uncanny – tight deadlines, unrealistic expectations, and the occasional need to juggle tasks that feel like they’re meant for two or more people.
The Writers Guild of America East is persisting in its mission to unionize employees within the predominantly non-union field of nonfiction production.
On Monday, the union declared their intention to organize approximately 150 employees at A+E Factual Studios, a company known for producing documentaries and non-fiction TV shows such as “Dance Moms: A New Era,” “The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard,” “History’s Greatest Mysteries,” and “Cold Case Files.” According to Bloomberg, the group seeking unionization includes writers and producers at this studio that A+E Networks refer to as their “IP creation powerhouse.
The Union within the WGA East has requested voluntary acknowledgement from the company, with a significant number of employees having already expressed their support through union membership cards. The Hollywood Reporter is currently awaiting a response from A+E Factual Studios concerning this matter.
As a passionate advocate, I’ve penned a letter detailing our rationale behind this movement. We’ve pinpointed the challenges we face, such as unyielding deadlines and impractical demands from network executives that leave us working excessive hours. Moreover, it’s disheartening to find ourselves often shouldering tasks meant for two individuals, a consequence of network cost-cutting measures. On the other hand, it seems executives are rewarded with bonuses when they manage to stay under budget, which further exacerbates the imbalance.
As a dedicated fan, if the studio manages to unionize, the organizers aim to establish fair compensation, annual wage increases, retention bonuses, and an additional bonus upon signing the first union contract. They’re also focused on enhancing scheduling and staffing practices, implementing long-term contracts, portable health insurance that can be transferred from job to job, promoting reasonable workloads and deadlines, providing clear career advancement opportunities, increasing transparency at work, and strengthening anti-harassment and discrimination policies.
In their correspondence, the organizers express their intention to transform a current system that is not viable for nonfiction workers. They extend an invitation to A+E Factual Studios to uphold its historical position as a pioneer within the nonfiction field by acknowledging our union and collaborating with us in establishing a mutually beneficial union agreement that will serve as a benchmark for what it entails to work in nonfiction.
As a gamer, I’m part of the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) union, which represents me and other nonfiction workers in the gaming world, specifically those involved in documentary and reality TV production at Vox Entertainment, Jigsaw Productions, NBC News Service, Sharp, Lion, and BSTV Entertainment. Starting from 2023, this union has taken on new members like Story Syndicate, producers of shows such as “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” and “Harry & Meghan”, and McGee Media, responsible for “Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.”.
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2024-09-23 21:24