A trio of members from the Documentary Workers United (CWA Local 9003), Kenyon Johnson, Anisa Hosseinnezhaf, and Gabriella Ortega Ricketts, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the work done to earn the first contract for the DWU. The group discussed the work done by the International Documentary Association (IDA) and the importance of unions for the non-profit sector.
Ortega Ricketts explained the difficulties of negotiations on a first contract with the IDA. The ratification process was the easy part, but the initial organizing and negotiations proved difficult. The negotiation team began by building solidarity with their team, as many on the team hadn’t interacted before. During bargaining, the IDA turned over its leadership team, and negotiations reset. Thankfully, they were able to fight through the difficulties and ratify a first contract that worked for everyone involved.
The IDA is a non-profit organization that works to support documentary filmmakers every step of the way. Often, non-profit workers don’t think about union representation, as the industry has such high turnover rates due to poor working conditions. There is hope that this contract can turn around the misconceptions about working at a non-profit organization. Every person who works should be able to have a safe working environment, whether that be at a large corporation or a non-profit organization.
The Communication Workers of America Local 9003 mainly worked with technology companies. This was the first time the Local had organized a non-profit documentary filmmaking business. While it was difficult to successfully organize, it was the least they could do for the group of workers who were suffering from terrible workplace environments. For more information on unionizing as non-profit documentary workers, please visit documentaryworkersunited.com.
To hear more about the fight for a new contract by these workers, press play above.
America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.
America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, American Alliance for Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North America, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, Survey and Ballot Systems, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.
