Tell Spike TV: Demand Respect for the Writers and Producers of ‘Ink Master’ and Other Shows
Spike TV President Kevin Kay
More than a year ago, writers and producers at Original Media—which produces the hit Spike TV show “Ink Master”—voted to organize a union to get better health care and wages and end other abuses on the job.
But Original Media has refused to bargain with them in good faith to address their concerns. Instead, it’s continued with its abusive practices and taken up hard-line tactics that the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has alleged violated federal labor laws.
Spike TV can stand with these writers and producers by demanding Original Media clean up its act.
Sign the petition now to tell Spike TV President Kevin Kay to urge Original Media to stop violating the rights of its workers, commit to not engage in wage theft and sit down with workers and negotiate in good faith.
Sponsored by
To:
Spike TV President Kevin Kay
From:
[Your Name]
Spike TV has a hit show with “Ink Master,” which is made by men and women who work for the production company Original Media. Since Spike is the network that contracts Original Media to produce “Ink Master,” we believe it is Spike’s responsibility to ensure Original doesn't violate the rights of “Ink Master” writers and producers.
More than a year ago, the writers and producers at Original Media voted to unionize to get collectively bargained health insurance, among other things. Instead of honoring this decision, Original crammed a substandard health care plan down employees' throats, which led the NLRB General Counsel to issue a complaint alleging that Original violated federal labor law.
At the same time, dozens of Original Media employees have filed statements with state authorities detailing massive wage theft—potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars of unpaid overtime. And Original is a defendant in a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by an “Ink Master” employee.
We do not believe that Spike TV can ignore these major potential violations of the rights of Original Media's employees. Spike should not benefit from Original's refusal to negotiate a reasonable, industry-standard collective bargaining agreement with the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE). We call on Spike to take responsibility to ensure that Original respects the law and inks a fair deal with the union.