Peacock Union2020-04-15T17:24:32+00:00

THE TRUTH ABOUT PEACOCK PRODUCTIONS

A company created to shed their union contract.

Peacock Productions is, or was, the part of NBC News’ operations that created nonfiction television series for NBC and other networks. A number of years ago, the “freelance” writer-producers at Peacock unionized with the Writers Guild of America, East. (A bit of nomenclature:  Peacock used the label “freelancers” to describe the producers and associate producers hired to work on particular shows, although often they stayed on to work on other shows, or to do development work.) Management refused to honor the employees’ decision and spent years fighting against it at the National Labor Relations Board. Ultimately the NLRB ordered the company to recognize the WGAE as the employees’ collective bargaining representative, and negotiations ensured. In January 2019, the employees ratified their first WGAE collective bargaining agreement, which included many gains unique in the nonfiction TV world.

THE TRUTH ABOUT PEACOCK PRODUCTIONS

The company is refusing to apply the collective bargaining agreement

In January 2020 Peacock notified the WGAE that it would no longer employ freelance writer-producers at Peacock. Instead, the company said it would continue to produce nonfiction programs at another part of the NBC News operation, which apparently will have the name “NBC News Studios”.

The WGAE asked for clarification and details.  Because the company refused to provide all of the information, the union had to return to the NLRB – after which the company admitted that a number of former “Peacock” employees would now work at “NBC News Studios” producing nonfiction programs. Although mostly these were management employees, some were Peacock freelancers.

Thus, NBC News is continuing the work of Peacock Productions under a different banner, using Peacock Productions employees. There is one key difference: The company is refusing to apply the WGAE collective bargaining agreement to any of those employees, including those employed as “freelance” producers and associate producers.

THE TRUTH ABOUT PEACOCK PRODUCTIONS

The company is refusing to apply the collective bargaining agreement

In January 2020 Peacock notified the WGAE that it would no longer employ freelance writer-producers at Peacock. Instead, the company said it would continue to produce nonfiction programs at another part of the NBC News operation, which apparently will have the name “NBC News Studios”.

The WGAE asked for clarification and details.  Because the company refused to provide all of the information, the union had to return to the NLRB – after which the company admitted that a number of former “Peacock” employees would now work at “NBC News Studios” producing nonfiction programs. Although mostly these were management employees, some were Peacock freelancers.

Thus, NBC News is continuing the work of Peacock Productions under a different banner, using Peacock Productions employees. There is one key difference: The company is refusing to apply the WGAE collective bargaining agreement to any of those employees, including those employed as “freelance” producers and associate producers.

THE TRUTH ABOUT PEACOCK PRODUCTIONS

A cynical maneuver intended to bust the union

This cynical maneuver is intended to bust the union, to continue the company’s years-long effort to reject its employees’ decision to be part of the WGAE and to bargaining collectively on critical workplace issues. Freelance employees creating nonfiction programs must be covered by the WGAE collective bargaining agreement, which was the product of years of struggle by freelance writer-producers and which protects their interests and reflects real gains in employment terms and conditions.

On April 15th, the WGAE filed another unfair labor practice charge against NBC at the NLRB.  As that charge states, the Guild contract must be applied to the freelance producers and associate producers who are hired, and who will be hired in the future, to craft nonfiction programs at “NBC News Studios” (or whatever new label the company might dream up). That’s what the freelance writer-producers struggled for so many years to achieve, and that’s what the law requires.

NEWS

WGA East Accuses NBCUniversal Of “Union Busting” In Dispute Over Its Now-Defunct Peacock Productions

April 15th, 2020|

The WGA East today accused NBCUniversal of “union busting” in a dispute over the shuttering of its now-defunct Peacock Productions, formerly the in-house

WRITER-PRODUCERS AT PEACOCK PRODUCTIONS DESERVE BETTER!