Pushkin Industries’ Podcast Workers Form Union

Katie Kilkenny
·2 min read
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Workers at the powerhouse audio production company behind podcasts The Happiness Lab and The Dream, Pushkin Industries, have unionized after management voluntarily recognized their bargaining unit.

A group of producers, editors and engineers are joining the Writers Guild of America East after a card check conducted by a third party found that the majority of the group was supportive of unionizing. Co-founded by star author Malcolm Gladwell and former Slate Group CEO Jacob Weisberg, Pushkin Industries has also produced the podcasts Revisionist History, Against the Rules with Michael Lewis, Broken Record, Getting Even with Anita Hill and Well-Read Black Girl.

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“We are thrilled that Pushkin Management has decided to voluntarily recognize our union, and eager to include our voices in company decision making,” the company’s organizing committee said in a statement. “This year, our small but mighty unit has been impacted by three rounds of layoffs, and we believe worker feedback is critical in protecting our colleagues and building a stronger Pushkin going forward. We’re grateful for the solidarity of all our coworkers, past and present, and look forward to building a fairer workplace for all.”

The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Pushkin Industries for comment.

The company has recently undergone a period of turbulence as the podcasting industry continues to face significant challenges amid an ad spending slowdown. Following previous rounds of cuts, Pushkin Industries laid off over 30 percent of its staff, including C-suite executives, in September. Former CEO Weisberg announced he was stepping down from the role around that time, stepping into the position of “executive chair,” and would be replaced by new president Gretta Cohn.

With their unionization, the bargaining unit at Pushkin will join a number of WGA East-affiliated unions at other podcast production companies including Gimlet Media, The Ringer, Parcast, Pineapple Street Studios, Crooked Media and the iHeartPodcast Network. “We welcome the creative team at Pushkin Industries to the Writers Guild of America East,” WGA East president Lisa Takeuchi Cullen said in a statement. “The Guild is committed to building worker power in the growing podcasting industry. We look forward to securing workplace protections and benefits for our members at Pushkin Industries.”

With their union voluntarily recognized, the bargaining unit and management can now begin negotiating a first contract, which the WGA East says it wants to commence “as soon as possible.”

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