The Nonfiction Women of Color Caucus (WOCC) stands in solidarity with the WGA East union organizing campaign at Jigsaw Productions.
We believe that collective bargaining is a powerful tool for addressing equity and diversity in nonfiction. We call on Jigsaw to bargain a union contract that addresses the experiences of historically-excluded, BIPOC employees currently in your workplace, as well as addressing the underlying issues of recruitment and hiring that limits the diversity at Jigsaw.
Specifically we look forward to bargaining over:
- Better hiring practices to increase the diversity of the freelance employees, including a conversation about the role of interns.
- Clarifying job titles, duties, responsibilities, and wages for all creatives on Jigsaw productions.
- The involvement of the BIPOC Freelance employees on staff to improve the experience of all POC currently working at Jigsaw.
- Provide mentorship to historically excluded groups and a mentorship program that prioritizes diversity.
- Opportunities for freelance employees to grow within the company.
- Possible partnership with CUNY/SUNY and similar institutions to widen their pool of candidates for a more diverse and inclusive staff.
- Expanding access to internships for historically excluded communities by widening the recruitment pool and providing compensation/stipends.
While Jigsaw’s challenges with diversity and equity are not unique in nonfiction, we are calling on them to take action and lead the charge in transforming their workplace and the industry as a whole.
The aforementioned bargaining points are just the start of a longer conversation in collective bargaining for equity, parity, and accountability for all employers in our industry. We stand in solidarity with the workers of Jigsaw seeking a union, and the WOCC look forward to negotiating a union agreement that seriously addresses these issues and provides a path for other employers to follow.
We look forward to creating an ongoing partnership with one of the leading documentary production companies in our field to make Nonfiction production a more fair and inclusive endeavor.
