After more than a year of bargaining, Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) Members employed at Podcast Production Company Pushkin Industries have delivered a Strike pledge to management demanding a fair contract.

The WGAE Bargaining Unit at Pushkin Industries are threatening a potential work stoppage in a letter delivered to management, which calls for raises for Union Members who “tightened their belts with the company during the lean years,” a “competitive” compensation package for Workers and a “reasonable” policy on intellectual property, The Hollywood Reporter reports.

“We will not accept any CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) without these guarantees,” the letter states. “We are prepared to Strike.”

Pushkin Industries voluntarily recognized the WGAE Union in the Fall of 2023, with contract negotiations beginning in March of the following year.

The company’s Workers organized following several rounds of layoffs at Pushkin Industries amid an ad spending slowdown that particularly impacted the Podcasting Industry.

The company was co-founded by Author Malcolm Gladwell and former Slate Group CEO Jacob Weisberg back in 2018.

The Workers then secured voluntary recognition in 2023 after a card-check.

Members of the Pushkin Union are employed as Producers, Editors and Engineers for various popular podcasts.

Staff noted in their pledge that they have recently weathered multiple rounds of layoffs and periods of financial strain over the past two years and now are fighting for a fair contract.

The Union Members’ core concerns center around wages - including increasing pay and setting higher minimum salary floors - and protecting intellectual property.

WGAE President Lisa Takeuchi Cullen said: “Writers Guild Members at Pushkin are ready to reach a fair and equitable contract with management, but they are also willing to Strike if that’s what it takes to get to an agreement that meets their reasonable demands.”

For More On This Labor News Report, Go To: Pushkin Podcast Workers Threaten Strike During Contract Negotiations