Original Media Fails To Disclose Sexual Harassment Policy

NEW YORK, NY (JULY 8, 2015) – The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) has filed new unfair labor practice charges against Original Media at the National Labor Relations Board as the company has failed to disclose its sexual harassment policy.

Guild-represented employees have noted there is pending federal court litigation alleging sexual harassment at the Original produced INK MASTER, whose sixth season is currently airing on Spike.

“We want to know what procedures are available to employees who experience or witness inappropriate behavior in the workplace,” said Lowell Peterson, Executive Director of the Writers Guild of America, East. “It is unfathomable to us that Original Media, which is part of the multinational media corporation Endemol/Shine, would mistreat the men and women who write and produce the shows that are essential to its enterprise.”

The union requested the sexual harassment policy during contract negotiations early this year.  The NLRB is already actively investigation ULP charges that Original violated federal labor law by failing and refusing to bargain in good faith with the Guild.  In addition, dozens of Associate Producers have described in detail the long hours they have worked without overtime pay, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars in wage and hour violations.

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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