The newsrooms of the Peacock political news streaming service and co-owned MSNBC have agreed to unionize with the Writers Guild of America East, according to the union.
WGAE said that is based on the fact that a "clear majority" of staffers signed a letter to management calling for voluntary recognition of the union.
"At a time when journalists and journalism itself are under siege, we want to join our peers who have paved the road before us in standing up for our rights," said The MSNBC bargaining unit. "We are calling on the network to recognize our union and we are looking forward to constructive negotiations over the issues that are important to all of us."
"They join thousands of their colleagues in the news and entertainment industries who recognize that collective bargaining is the most effective way to win a voice at work and to build sustainable careers," said WGAE executive director Lowell Peterson.
According to WGAE, MSNBC staffers said they are organizing for a host of reasons, including: 1) "because our work is more vital now than ever"; 2) "because our voices must be heard in the newsroom for the future of our industry"; 3) "because we want to ensure that every employee is paid fairly for their work and has access to career development"; 4) "because we want to make sure workers have a say in what a post-COVID-19 workplace looks like"; (5) "because we want to guarantee diversity in our newsroom."
