Major League Baseball content producers join WGA
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Major League Baseball writers and other content producers have voted to join the Writers Guild of America East.
The WGA said Wednesday that 127 employees of MLB Advanced Media — the content creators for the league’s official website and popular app — are now represented by the New York-based guild for collective bargaining. The American Arbitration Assn. administered an election after a majority of the group signed union cards.
The move marks the first time workers of a professional sports league have formed a WGA bargaining unit.
“The Guild is excited to welcome more workers from the sports industry into the labor movement,” Writers Guild of America East President Tom Fontana said in a statement. “This bargaining unit now has earned a seat at the table with Major League Baseball to negotiate a fair first union contract.”
Under labor law, parties in collective bargaining must negotiate in good faith. If the union refuses to discuss a salary cap, the owners could at some point declare an impasse.
In a statement, the league said it did not stand in the way of the organizing efforts.
“MLB worked cooperatively and in good faith to identify the appropriate bargaining unit and to respect the rights of the affected employees to decide whether to unionize,” the league said. “We look forward to working with the WGAE as their new representative.”
There’s a lot of work to do before Hollywood can get fully back to work (SAG-AFTRA, anyone?). Now the industry is left to pick up the pieces of a long and disruptive work stoppage.
Neither side disclosed what workplace matters prompted the group to organize.
The unit produces content for the league’s digital offerings in English, Spanish and Japanese.
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The effort comes as baseball executives are embroiled in tumultuous contract negotiations with its big league players. The collective bargaining agreement with the Major League Baseball Players Assn. expires Dec. 1, and team owners could lock out players after that deadline if no deal is reached.
The two sides have been tussling over a proposed salary cap, which the union opposes.
A protracted salary-cap standoff could jeopardize the 2027 season.
Times staff writer Bill Shaikin contributed to this report.
