John Oliver, David Simon Sign WGA East Petition Backing Vice Employee Contract Talks

WGA East represents around 400 Vice production and editorial employees or freelancers.

As the Writers Guild of America East prepares to return to the negotiating table with Vice over editorial employee contracts, several dozen HBO writers also represented by the union have sent a petition to Vice in support of their fellow members.

The petition, signed by 78 HBO writers — including Last Week Tonight host John Oliver, The Deuce creator David Simon and Succession creator Jesse Armstrong — states, "Vice Media's commitment to innovation has made it a major industry player. There is no better way to cultivate that innovation than to sign a strong union contract. We, therefore, call upon Vice Media to settle a fair contract with the Writers Guild and Vice Union Bargaining Teams."

Vice has had a multiyear relationship with HBO via the weekly newsmagazine Vice and nightly show Vice News Tonight. The premium cable network has also aired a number of Vice specials over the years.

WGAE represents around 100 Vice journalists and around 300 staffers or freelancers who work on video programming for its website, Viceland cable channel and HBO shows. The production employees unionized — and Vice voluntarily recognized the union — in September 2017, and the current talks represent a continuation of their first contract negotiations, which began in March. Editorial began renegotiating its contract with Vice in September.

"We have been supportive of VICE union efforts from the very beginning, and have continued to negotiate in good faith," a Vice spokesman said in a statement. "We are confident that we will reach an agreement in the near future."

The union is looking for provisions around diversity and workplace culture following a string of sexual harassment allegations in late 2017 that resulted in the firing of several executives. It is also seeking portable health benefits for freelance employees and fair, equitable and transparent pay provisions.

"This petition shows what WGAE solidarity looks like," a guild spokesman said in a statement. "Just as our members who craft shows for HBO are expressing support for their brothers and sisters at Vice, the WGAE-represented employees in all parts of Vice (Viceland, HBO news and documentaries, the verticals) are supporting each other in the quest for a good contract. That solidarity has already brought real gains in a number of areas such as strong provisions on diversity and workplace culture, and we continue to move forward to win portable health benefits for freelance employees, fair, equitable and transparent pay provisions, and ways for members to remain engaged in workplace decision-making once the collective bargaining agreement has been negotiated."

Vice Media in March appointed Nancy Dubuc as its new CEO as co-founder Shane Smith transitioned to the role of executive chairman. She officially started in the role at the end of May.

The petition was signed by the following writers:

Megan Abbott, The Deuce

Jesse Armstrong, Veep; Succession

Kevin Avery, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Katja Blichfield, High Maintenance

Molly Boylan, Sesame Street

Mitchell Burgess, The Sopranos

Jess Carlton, Sesame Street

Emma Carmichael, Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas

Tim Carvell, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Cristine Chambers, Boardwalk Empire

Geri Cole, Sesame Street

Eliza Cossio, Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas

Raquel D’Apice, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Stephani DeLuca, The Deuce

Mariama Diallo, Random Acts of Flyness

Riccardo DiLorento, Boardwalk Empire, Vinyl

Bathsheba Doran, Boardwalk Empire, Demimonde

Chris Duffy, Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas

Anya Epstein, In Treatment; The Deuce

Joe Fallon, Sesame Street

Chrissy Ferraro, Sesame Street

Tom Fontana, Oz

Marina Franklin, Divorce

Gina Gionfriddo, Boardwalk Empire

Bryan Goluboff, In Treatment

Josh Gondelman, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Dan Gurewitch, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Geoff Haggerty, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Hallie Haglund, Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas

Amy Harris, Sex and the City, The Comeback

Wes Jones, Demimonde

Mitra Jouhari, High Maintenance

Shaka King, Random Acts of Flyness

Lawrence Konner, The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire

Howard Korder, Boardwalk Empire

Raye Lankford, Sesame Street

Warren Leight, In Treatment

Brett C. Leonard, Hung

Sam Levinson, Wizard of Lies, Euphoria

Sean M. Love, Veep

Lisa Lutz, The Deuce

Eduardo Machado, Hung

Jim Manos, The Sopranos

Jeffrey Mauer, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Darius Clark Monroe, Random Acts of Flyness

Itamar Moses, Boardwalk Empire

Terence Nance, Random Acts of Flyness

Dan O’Brien, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Isaac Oliver, High Maintenance

John Oliver, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Eric Overmyer, The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, Treme

Ann Packer, Demimonde

Brian Parise, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

George Pelecanos, The Wire, Treme, The Deuce

Naima Ramos-Chapman, Random Acts of Flyness

Adam Resnick, The Larry Sanders Show, Divorce

Amy Rice, The News Room

Julie Rottenberg, Sex and the City, Divorce

Ken Scarborough, Sesame Street

Zack Schamberg, High Maintenance

Johnny Scott III, Demimonde

Chrissy Shackelford, Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas

Scott Sherman, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Ben Silva, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

David Simon, The Wire, Treme, The Deuce

Ben Sinclair, High Maintenance

Dillon Stevenson, Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas

Gary Sunshine, Hung

Will Tracy, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Jill Twiss, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Seena Vali, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Belinda Ward, Sesame Street

Jamund Washington, Random Acts of Flyness

Bradford Winters, Oz

Christopher Yakaitis, The Deuce

Rafael Yglesias, Demimonde

Stu Zicherman, Divorce

Elisa Zuritsky, Sex and the City, Divorce