Workers at A+E’s nonfiction television division voted to unionize with the Writers Guild of America East in a National Labor Relations Board election on Wednesday, nearly two years after they went public with their organizing efforts.
The election saw 84 percent of more than 140 eligible workers vote to join the New York-based WGA East. A+E Factual Studios, which is co-owned by Hearst and Disney, produces titles including Dance Moms: A New Era, History’s Greatest Mysteries, Cold Case Files and The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard.
The bargaining unit ranges from around 50 to 100 producers, depending on how many projects are currently in progress.
“We’re thrilled to welcome workers at A+E Factual Studios to the Writers Guild of America East,” WGA East vp of film, television and stremaing Michael Rauch said in a statement about the vote. “We look forward to bargaining a fair first contract that reflects the value of their work, and continues to build on the momentum we’ve grown across nonfiction television production.”
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to A+E for comment.
