Writers Guild of America East members at Pineapple Avenue Studios ratified their first collective bargaining settlement, gaining a three-year contract with protections in opposition to AI and elevated wage minimums.
The 22 members of the bargaining unit on the Pineapple Avenue Studios contains producers, editors, engineers and different workers who work on podcasts together with Elegant, Wondery’s Ghost Story, Paper Kite’s Million Greenback Recommendation, and HBO’s Succession Podcast.
The main points of the brand new contract embrace a minimal beginning wage of $72,000, efficient upon ratification and annual minimal wage will increase of three p.c within the first yr of the contract, and a pair of p.c within the second and third years of the contract. Generative synthetic intelligence is not going to be allowed for use to carry out bargaining unit work with out the categorical consent of the union.
Further provisions embrace that the subsequent employer acknowledge and cut price with the union within the occasion of a sale, improved break day and severance provisions and the elimination of non-competes and NDAs for harassment.
The unit additionally codified the present versatile distant work coverage and has a provision that edits checks and different manufacturing work throughout the job interview course of shall be paid “at a minimum of the minimal price for that position.”
The group introduced its intent to arrange in October 2022, citing Audacy’s 2019 acquisition of Pineapple Avenue Studios as a turning level.
In January, Audacy filed for Chapter 11 chapter and got here up with a plan to emerge from it, together with shedding 25 p.c of its workers at Pineapple Avenue on the finish of January and later reorganizing the podcast division beneath new branding.
“After practically a yr and a half of negotiations, we’re thrilled to have a contract that units business requirements in each pay and coverage,” mentioned Pineapple Avenue Union member Emerald O’Brien. “Whereas this contract is outstanding in some ways, we really feel strongly that, in an business dominated by large firms, no podcast employee must be receiving lower than what we’ve been in a position to comply with right here.”
“This contract will make Pineapple a greater and extra equitable place to work for all of its staff, and we couldn’t have gained this contract with out the steadfast solidarity of our whole unit,” mentioned Pineapple Avenue Union member Ben Goldberg,
“Our members at Pineapple Avenue Studios held robust for essential union protections like simply trigger, successorship, and a voice within the implementation of AI,” mentioned WGAE President Lisa Takeuchi Cullen. “We’re proud to see these hardworking podcast employees safe a robust first contract that can assist them construct secure careers.”
Staff at Crooked Media, the iHeart Podcast Community, Pushkin Industries, The Ringer and Spotify Studios have additionally unionized with WGAE.
