95 Percent of RadicalMedia Staff Back First Union Contract

Approximately 50 nonfiction employees at RadicalMedia have ratified their first collective bargaining agreement, with 95 percent of voting members approving the five-year contract. The Writers Guild of America East represents the group, which includes archival producers, story producers, field workers, and postproduction staff.

The company behind productions such as This Is a Gardening Show and Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich had not previously held a union contract for its nonfiction division. The bargaining unit secured approval from its members by October 9. The union’s council formally signed off on the agreement on Thursday, completing the ratification process on Friday.

The new contract establishes specific financial and health benefits for the workforce. Minimum wage rates will rise by two percent in each year of the five-year term. Employers will make daily contributions toward the health insurance plan for every employee. Workers will also be eligible to enroll in the Entertainment Industry Flex Plan, a benefit the bargaining committee noted is often unavailable to those in freelance roles.

The agreement includes standard protections such as paid holidays, bereavement leave, minimum rest periods, and comp days. It also adds a specific provision for nonfiction production. If the company shuts down a show with little advance notice, it must continue to pay affected employees.

Michael Rauch, the WGA East’s vice president of film, television, and streaming, issued a statement welcoming the result. "We're thrilled RadicalMedia workers secured their first union contract," Rauch said. He stated that the deal provides protections, including rest periods and short-notice pay, that nonfiction workers have lacked for too long.

The WGA East has been organizing nonfiction production companies for some time. It currently holds bargaining units at Jigsaw Productions, Story Syndicate, Vox Entertainment, McGee Media, Sharp, Lucky 8, A+E Factual Studios, and NBC News Service. The union’s bargaining committee described the RadicalMedia deal as a milestone in organizing nonfiction work.

RadicalMedia is led by Justin Barocas. Its other credits include the Oscar-winning documentary Summer of Soul, the Conversations with a Killer franchise, and Hollywood Black. The Hollywood Reporter reported that it reached out to the company for comment.