Writers Guild of America East Announces Voluntary Recognition at Lemonada Media

NEW YORK, NY (June 6, 2024) – Management at Lemonada Media, the award-winning podcast network, voluntarily recognized the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) as the collective bargaining representatives of the staff’s producers and engineers.

A card-check conducted by an independent third-party confirmed that a majority of the bargaining unit signed cards in favor of the union. The union and Lemonada aim to begin negotiations soon.

Lemonada produces such podcasts as “Wiser Than Me With Julia Louis-Dreyfus,” “Believe Her,”  “Fail Better with David Duchovny,” “Add to Cart With Kulap Vilaysack and SuChin Pak,” “The Dough with X Mayo,”  “I Need To Ask You Something” and “No One Is Coming To Save Us,” among others.

“We’re excited to welcome the creative staff at Lemonada Media to the Writers Guild of America East,” said Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, President of the WGAE. “Lemonada joins the Guild as part of our ongoing unionization efforts to raise industry standards for the dedicated people who want to make a career working in podcasts. We look forward to securing workplace protections and benefits for the unit.”

“Lemonada is pleased to have reached agreement on voluntary recognition with the WGAE,” said a Lemonada spokesperson. “Lemonada looks forward to participating collaboratively in the collective bargaining negotiations. The company is committed to continuing to foster an environment where their stellar production team thrives and makes best-in-class, mission-driven content for listeners.”

The WGAE’s Lemonada Media Union explained their reasons for unionizing in their “Why We’re Organizing” letter HERE.

In addition to Lemonada Media, the WGAE includes podcast production companies Crooked Media, the iHeart Podcast Network, Pineapple Street Studios, Pushkin Industries, The Ringer and Spotify Studios.

ABOUT THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA EAST
The Writers Guild of America East, AFL-CIO (WGAE) is a labor union of nearly 8,000 writers working in film, television, news, podcasts and online 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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