WGA East Files Unfair Labor Practice Charge Against ITV America

NEW YORK, NY (June 17, 2025)—The Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge against nonfiction television production company ITV America for failure to bargain in good faith.

WGAE members work at two ITV America shops; Kirkstall Road Enterprises, which produces THE FIRST 48, AFTER THE FIRST 48 and CRITICAL MINUTES, and Leftfield Pictures, which produces the shows ALONE and PAWN STARS.

“WGAE members at ITV America shops Kirkstall and Leftfield began negotiating for a first union contract with management in May 2024. Throughout the bargaining process, management has consistently shown up late and unprepared to bargaining sessions and refuses to hold meaningful dialogue over the key issues affecting members’ lives,” said WGAE President Lisa Takeuchi Cullen. “We notified ITV during our bargaining session on May 22 that we would file a ULP if we did not see a change in both the company’s preparedness and a willingness to engage in good-faith bargaining. In failing to do either, ITV has forced our hand.”

The ULP states says, “ITV America (the company) violated Sections 8(a)(1) & 8(a)(5) of the National Labor Relations Act by failing to negotiate in good faith with the Writers Guild of America East (the union). The basis of the charge is: failure to bargain in good faith concerning mandatory subjects of bargaining, engaging in bad faith, surface, or piecemeal bargaining, and failing to meet with the union at reasonable times and reasonable intervals.”

Writers Guild of America East members on the ITV America Bargaining Committee said, “For the past thirteen months, ITV America has told their employees that they are unwilling to make reasonable counter offers on major issues such as cost of living increases, affordable health care coverage, basic retirement contributions, a sensible remote work policy and paid time off. ITV America has been given many opportunities to do the right thing but time and time again they have refused. We do not want to file an Unfair Labor Practice Charge, we want a fair contract, but ITV America has given us no choice.”

ABOUT THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA EAST
The Writers Guild of America East, AFL-CIO, is a labor union of more than 7,500 members working in film, television, news, podcasts and online media. The Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members; conducts programs, seminars and events on issues of interest to writers; and presents writers’ views to various bodies of government. For more information on the Writers Guild of America East, visit wgaeast.org.

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