ABC News Digital Staffers Unionize Under WGA East Amid FCC Threats To Network
Staffers at ABC News‘ digital outlets have unionized under the Writers Guild of America East. WGAE said Wednesday that it sealed the deal with the network to rep employees of ABCNews.com and ABC Network News’ Social Media Platforms.
ABC News Digital’s roughly 50-member bargaining team voted unanimously to set WGA East as its collective bargaining rep. The unit includes digital reporters, editors and video producers and social media producers who contribute to the content and operation of ABC’s online entities.
The move comes as ABC continues to face scrutiny by the federal government, with the FCC doing an early review of its broadcast licenses amid investigations into Jimmy Kimmel and The View.
“The industry is changing at a rapid pace, and we want to help shape the version of ABC News that will emerge from this transition,” the bargaining unit said in a statement. “We are excited to join hundreds of our ABC News Broadcast colleagues and thousands of our fellow Disney employees who are represented by unions.”
Said WGAE president Tom Fontana: “The WGAE has represented unionized workers at ABC News since the 1960s. We appreciate that management engaged in productive conversations for recognition, and we look forward to winning union protections for ABC News’ digital staff.”
So far this year, the Writers Guild of America East also has helped to unionize staffers at the likes of Hearst Magazines, Slate Media and Futuro Media.
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