Union Workers at Pod Save America Producer Crooked Media Stage Walkout

Dozens of union workers at Crooked Media, the progressive media company that produces popular political podcast “Pod Save America,” are participating in a one-day walkout on Aug. 5 intended to spur the company to reach a contract, the union said.

The work stoppage comes after more than a year of negotiations between the WGA East-affiliated union with Crooked Media’s management. According to the union, staffers on Monday morning plan to distribute leaflets about their demands outside Crooked Media’s office in Los Angeles.

More than 95% of the union’s 61-member bargaining unit signed the walkout pledge, which reads as follows: “We, the undersigned members of the Crooked Media Workers Union, stand united in our pursuit of a collective bargaining agreement that adequately reflects the current economic landscape, the rapidly evolving nature of the media and news industry, and the critical concerns of our members. This includes fair and competitive salary minimums, annual cost-of-living adjustments, and safeguards against layoffs, along with a range of benefits and company policies that truly embody Crooked Media’s progressive values. We will not accept any collective bargaining agreement without these guarantees.”

In a statement to Variety, a Crooked Media spokesperson said, “Our union has told us they believe we’re in the homestretch of negotiations, and we completely agree. We completed three days of bargaining last week, and we have two more long-scheduled days of bargaining next week. If our unit wants to walk out for a day between those bargaining sessions, that’s their right. But we don’t think walking out in the middle of negotiations makes a lot of sense and are eager to get back to the table so we can reach a deal this coming Wednesday and Thursday.”

Founded in 2017, Crooked Media is led by founders Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor and CEO Lucinda Treat. Leading up to this year’s contentious presidential election in November, Crooked Media has “dramatically increased its content output without adequate changes to staffing and wages that are reflective of these new responsibilities,” the union alleged.

In a statement, representatives from the Crooked Media Workers Union, said, “We care deeply about our work at Crooked and the larger progressive mission. It is because of those values that we are steadfast in demanding our fair share with a contract that reflects an equitable workplace. Jon, Jon and Tommy have consistently reminded us that organizing is essential to successful politics. If the founders believe that this is the case, we ask them to show that by coming to the bargaining table in these final days.We look forward to their active involvement in ensuring a contract that adequately recognizes our unit’s essential work by August 8th.”

Last week, the WGAE filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge against Crooked Media with the National Labor Relations Board for “unilaterally changing the status quo of the previously negotiated Recognition Agreement and by insisting on a permissive subject of bargaining.” Specifically, Crooked Media has systematically excluded multiple staff members from the bargaining unit in an effort to undermine the union and deprive those workers of their collective bargaining rights, according to the union.

“Crooked Media has failed to live up to its values with its anti-union negotiating tactics,” WGAE president Lisa Takeuchi Cullen said in a statement. “This work stoppage is the direct result of leadership’s refusal to agree to fair terms with their workers after a year of bargaining. It is time for Crooked Media’s leadership to come to the negotiating table ready to make a deal that allows staff to turn their full attention back to the critical elections happening in less than a hundred days.”

The rep for Crooked said the two sides have been “going back and forth over whether five newly created positions are included within the bargaining unit, but there has never been any nefarious intent here and we’re confident we can resolve this issue. Ultimately, we intend to offer all full-time non-union employees the same benefits as those negotiated by the union for equivalent positions.”