Gawker Media Votes To Join WGAE
90% Voter Turnout; 3 to 1 Margin In Favor of the Union
NEW YORK, NY (JUNE 4, 2015) – The editorial staff at Gawker Media has voted overwhelmingly to unionize with the Writers Guild of America, East, AFL-CIO (WGAE).
On June 3rd, 90.7% of eligible voters cast ballots (107 out of 118 people) on the question, “”Do you wish to be represented by the Writers Guild of America, East for purposes of collective bargaining with Gawker Media?” In the final count, which was handled by an independent third-party company, 80 people voted “Yes” (75%) with 27 voting “No” (25%), marking a 3 to 1 margin in favor of the union.
Founded by Nick Denton, Gawker Media is the publisher of many of the most popular and influential digital media websites, including the eponymous Gawker, Jezebel, Deadspin, Jalopnik, Deadspin, Kotaku, io9, Gizmodo and Lifehacker.
“As Gawker’s writers have demonstrated, organizing in digital media is a real option, not an abstraction. People who do this work really can come together for their own common good,” said Lowell Peterson, Executive Director of the Writers Guild of America, East. “The WGAE, Gawker’s writers, and the company’s management share a commitment to journalistic integrity and creative freedom. We are eager for Gawker’s editorial staff to join our creative community, and we are eager to negotiate a fair contract.”
ABOUT WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA, EAST
The Writers Guild of America, East, AFL-CIO (WGAE) is a labor union representing writers in motion pictures, television, cable, digital media and broadcast news. 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.
