Jane Street Writer-Producers Vote To Join Writers Guild of America, East

NEW YORK, NY (March 30, 2015) – Marking another victory for writer-producers in nonfiction/”reality” television, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) today certified the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) as the collective bargaining representative for freelance producers and associate producers at Jane Street Entertainment.

Jane Street, which produces DEEP FRIED MASTERS, RACHEL VS GUY: KIDS COOK OFF, ROWHOUSE SHOWDOWN and COUSINS UNDERCOVER, is the latest production company in New York to overwhelmingly vote for Guild-representation.

“The men and women who write and produce nonfiction/”reality” television programs continue their campaign to improve their conditions, to make it possible to build sustainable careers,” said Lowell Peterson, Executive Director of the Writers Guild of America, East. “The WGAE is proud to be part of that campaign and we look forward to negotiating a solid collective bargaining agreement with Jane Street.”

The WGAE has been actively organizing writer-producers in nonfiction television since 2009. Nonfiction television has boomed in recent years by creating low-cost, highly profitable programming that relies on low wages, smaller crews and longer work schedules by freelance employees with virtually no benefits and no voice on the job. Thousands of skilled creative professionals work in this field in the New York area alone.  The WGAE has been working with writer-producers and production companies to help define and enforce industry-wide standards to enable these professionals to build long-term, stable and secure careers.

The WGAE has collective bargaining agreements with three production companies (Sharp Entertainment, Optomen Productions, and Lion TV), is negotiating with two others (ITV and Original Media), and is awaiting a determination from the NLRB at Peacock Productions.

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.

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