Crooked Media, the company behind author and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams’s new podcast, has unanimously ratified their first bargaining agreement, which includes minimum employee starting salaries of $80,000, AI protections and a minimum of 49 days of paid time off. The agreement is a landmark move for content creators in an increasingly fledgling media landscape.
Along with the $80,000 minimum salary, which can jump to $84,000 in 2027, the three-year agreement has a 15 percent base salary increase clause. There is also a 30 days’ notice from the company if AI is to be used, increased health insurance coverage and a minimum of 13 weeks severance according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“Today, members of the Crooked Media Workers Union ratified its first contract with a unanimous yes and 100 percent participation. It’s one thing to talk about the power of unions; it’s another to actually do the work. We’re pleased to have secured a fair, progressive contract, and for those wins to set a new standard for the industry at large. If we inspire workers at one other company to stand up together, fight for each other, and insist on what they deserve, this has all been worth it,” representatives from the Crooked Media Workers Union said in a statement according to the outlet.
WGAE president Lisa Takeuchi Cullen said “Our members at Crooked Media won a contract that will set a benchmark for all workers in the podcast industry. We’re proud to see our members secure a hard-fought collective bargaining agreement that will support them in the essential work they do — especially in the middle of a presidential election cycle.”