RadicalMedia Nonfiction Staff Approve First Union Contract

Nonfiction staff at RadicalMedia have ratified their first collective bargaining agreement.

The group, which comprises roughly 50 workers, approved the five-year contract on Friday. By October 9, 95 percent of voting employees had backed the deal. The union council formally signed off on the agreement the previous day. The Writers Guild of America East represents the unit, which includes archival producers, story producers, field workers, and postproduction personnel.

RadicalMedia is led by Justin Barocas and produces titles such as This Is a Gardening Show and Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich. The company also created the Oscar-winning documentary Summer of Soul, as well as the Conversations with a Killer franchise and The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare.

The new contract sets minimum wage rates to rise by two percent annually throughout the five-year term. Employees will gain access to the Entertainment Industry Flex Plan. The employer will also make daily contributions toward each employee's health insurance.

Standard union terms are included, such as paid holidays, bereavement leave, minimum rest periods, and comp days. A specific provision addresses short-notice shutdowns, requiring the company to pay employees if a show is canceled with little advance warning.

Michael Rauch, the WGA East's vice president of film, television, and streaming, stated the workers secured their first union contract. He said the deal adds protections for rest periods, short-notice pay, and health care contributions. The union's bargaining committee called the deal an important milestone, noting that health insurance is often out of reach for freelance workers.

The WGA East currently has bargaining units at Jigsaw Productions, Story Syndicate, Vox Entertainment, McGee Media, Sharp, Lucky 8, A+E Factual Studios, and NBC News Service. The Hollywood Reporter contacted RadicalMedia for comment.