A+E Factual Studios Unionizes with the Writers Guild of America East

NEW YORK (September 23, 2024) – Workers at A+E Factual Studios, the nonfiction television production arm of A&E Networks, unionized with the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) for the purpose of collective bargaining. 

A+E Factual Studios’ more than 150-member bargaining unit has called on A+E to voluntarily recognize their union, without delay or division. A majority of the unit signed union cards and asked management to recognize the union.

Co-owned by Disney and Hearst, A+E Factual Studios produces popular series such as DANCE MOMS: A NEW ERA, THE PRISON CONFESSIONS OF GYPSY ROSE BLANCHARD, HISTORY’S GREATEST MYSTERIES and COLD CASE FILES. 

The A+E Nonfiction Union joins the Guild’s increasing Nonfiction organizing efforts, which include the recently organized Story Syndicate and McGee Media Unions. Story Syndicate and McGee Media are both currently negotiating their first collective bargaining agreements. 

The A+E Nonfiction Union explained their reasons for unionizing in the following “Why We’re Organizing” letter:

We, the dedicated workers of A+E Factual Studios behind hundreds of hours of programming a year for A+E, Lifetime, and the History Channel, are thrilled to announce that we have formed a union with the Writers Guild of America East.

We are dedicated to our profession, to our projects, and to the collaborative nature of television production.  But the realities of the job can take a heavy toll. Tight turnarounds and unrealistic expectations from network executives mean that we routinely work long, unpredictable hours. We are frequently assigned the work of two people due to network cost-cutting, only for network executives to receive bonuses for coming in under budget. 

We are passionate about our work, and we’re tremendously proud of what we create. But we also know that this system is unsustainable, and that the nonfiction television industry needs to change. We are resolved to create a collaborative, equitable, and respectful work environment, and we believe that unionizing will allow A+E to be a leader in the creation of a more equitable nonfiction television industry.

It’s with these truths in mind that we have decided to form a union for the benefit of us all — producers/writers, researchers, archivists, showrunners, studio and network executives — both at A+E and across the industry. We believe that the power of collective bargaining will demonstrate what it means to succeed together by allowing us to work with A+E Factual Studios to establish:

• Fair pay and benefits – We seek fair and competitive pay minimums and annual increases, signing and retention bonuses, and paid time off policies that support the success of all employees, rather than pitting us against each other and contributing to systemic pay disparities.

• Better working conditions and job protections – We hope to invest in the well-being and retention of current workers through better scheduling, adequate staffing and long-term contracts, clear assignments, and reasonable workloads and deadlines. We also seek terms that support sustainable careers in the industry at large through portable health insurance and union security.

• Professional advancement – We want to establish clear, achievable paths to promotion that help workers to develop successful long-term careers, and create specific structures to support the development of workers from underrepresented backgrounds in senior roles.
• Improved transparency, accountability and inclusivity – We want to establish stronger anti-harassment and discrimination policies to protect marginalized workers, improve communication between workers and management, and increase avenues for collective decision making.

We are proud to work for a company that commands such a huge influence in the nonfiction space, both through the content it produces and the name recognition it holds. What A+E does sets the tone – for every other unscripted studio, for the industry as a whole.

We invite A+E Factual Studios to continue its legacy as a leader in the nonfiction industry by recognizing our union and working together with us to achieve a fair, equitable union contract that sets the standard for what it means to work in nonfiction. 

In addition to A+E Factual Studios, the WGAE includes members at Nonfiction production companies BSTV Entertainment, Jigsaw, Lion, NBC News Service (f.k.a. Peacock), McGee Media, Sharp, Story Syndicate and Vox Entertainment.

ABOUT THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA EAST

The Writers Guild of America East, AFL-CIO (WGAE) is a labor union of more than 7,500 members working in film, television, news, podcasts, and online media. The Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members; conducts programs, seminars and events on issues of interest to writers; and presents writers’ views to various bodies of government. For more information on the Writers Guild of America East, visit wgaeast.org.