Pushkin Workers Deliver Strike Pledge To Management
NEW YORK, NY (February 21, 2025)—Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) members at the podcast production company Pushkin Industries delivered a strike pledge to management demanding a fair contract after more than a year of bargaining.
The Pushkin Union strike pledge reads:
We, the undersigned members of the Pushkin Union, are committed to a collective bargaining agreement that reflects the realities of the economy, our changing industry, and the issues most important to our unit. Since its inception, this company has enjoyed the benefits of a talented and dedicated staff. Never was this more clear than in the past two years when the members of this unit weathered multiple rounds of layoffs, a major industry contraction, and the pressure of keeping Pushkin afloat through it all – on the strength of our productions. With your guidance and our labor, we have come through that period stronger than ever. Finally, we have begun to reinvest in the future of Pushkin, putting money towards new staff and new shows that will keep our shop at the forefront of audio.
An essential part of that investment needs to be in raising the salaries of the members of this unit who tightened their belts with the company during the lean years – and agreeing to a competitive compensation package that will sustain our labor force as we enter this exciting new phase. This includes meaningful yearly raises, fair salary minimums and a reasonable policy on intellectual property.
We will not accept any CBA without these guarantees.
We are prepared to strike.
WGAE President Lisa Takeuchi Cullen said, “Writers Guild members at Pushkin are ready to reach a fair and equitable contract with management, but they are also willing to strike if that’s what it takes to get to an agreement that meets their reasonable demands.”
Pushkin, co-founded by Jacob Weisberg and Malcolm Gladwell, produces hit podcasts like “Revisionist History,” “Deep Cover” “Broken Record,” “Against the Rules with Michael Lewis,” and “Where’s Dia?,” among other series.
ABOUT THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA
The Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) and the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) are labor unions of writers in motion pictures, television, news, podcasts and online media. The Guilds negotiate and administer contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of their members; conduct programs, seminars, and events on issues of interest to writers; and present writers’ views to various bodies of government. For more information on the Writers Guild of America East, visit wgaeast.org. For more information on the Writers Guild of America West, visit wga.org.
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