Vice Media’s Video Employees Have Unionized

On Thursday, organized labor in digital media counted a major victory. Thanks to a combined effort on the part of Writers Guild of America, East and the Motion Picture Editors Guild, IATSE Local 700, around 430 Vice Media staffers and freelancers are now unionized. The workforce includes a combination of writers and production staff who work on content for Vice.com, the Viceland cable channel, and Vice programming on HBO. Vice Media voluntarily recognized the union after a majority of workers in both bargaining units signed cards. The workers join about 100 journalists at Vice who were already unionized by WGAE. SAG-AFTRA is also involved in organizing Vice’s on-air talent as part of the larger Vice Union Organizing Committee.

“It is essential for people who create content in this dynamic environment to have a seat at the table as the way the work is done—the way the content is made and distributed—continue to change,” said WGAE Executive Director Lowell Peterson. “We have built a constructive relationship with Vice management and applaud the company for continuing to respect the right of its employees to engage in collective bargaining.”

“We’re proud to welcome aboard the post-production professionals whose talents and hard work helped build Vice into the news and entertainment juggernaut it has become,” said MPEG President Alan Heim. “We salute Vice for offering a model of how responsible employers respect their employees’ desire for a voice on the job, instead of trying to squash workers’ organizing efforts.”