Writers Guild of America, East and Salon Reach First Collective Bargaining Agreement

NEW YORK, NY (October 17, 2018) – The following statements are from the Writers Guild of America, East and Salon regarding the unanimous ratification of their first collective bargaining agreement.

Lowell Peterson, Executive Director of the Writers Guild of America, East, said, “Our collective bargaining agreement with Salon marks the Guild’s seventh contract in digital media. We won important gains including minimum rates of pay that result in a third of the unit receiving an average increase of 11%. There will also be guaranteed across the board increases for all employees, based on the average pay, which will further reduce inequality among colleagues. In addition, the agreement includes just cause, a process for terminations and guaranteed severance. We are pleased to finalize a collective bargaining agreement with one of the pioneers in digital journalism, a company that is committed to continuing its important mission in changed times.”

Jordan Hoffner, CEO of Salon, said, “We want to thank the Guild and our valued employees for working with us productively to craft an agreement that allowed protections for all parties in a challenging economic environment of digital journalism.”

The Salon bargaining committee added, “We are proud to have achieved a fair and hard-fought contract at Salon, which was the result of the collective action of our colleagues. It is our hope that other media organizations will follow and demonstrate unequivocally that the people who work tirelessly in media are valued and deserve basic protections. The industry grows stronger with each union contract and we are proud to be a part of this movement.”

ABOUT WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA, EAST
The Writers Guild of America, East, AFL-CIO (WGAE) is a labor union representing writers in film, television, news and new 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.

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