For inquiries or story tips, please contact the NFU Press Committee
Gene Wong , Lead Press
genwong@gmail.com | PH: 646.221.6261
RECENT PRESS: ARTICLES
The NonFiction "Union" took part in these important news articles, radio and podcasts
BELOW THE LINE PODCAST
By Robert "Skid" Skidmore, November 4, 2020
The NFU Admin team participated in a discussion regarding unionization of the our non-fiction industry, during the time of COVID, via the insightful podcast, BELOW THE LINE (hosted by Robert Skidmore). Season 6 - Ep 9 - COVID-19 - Non-Union Production
By Robert "Skid" Skidmore, November 4, 2020
The NFU Admin team participated in a discussion regarding unionization of the our non-fiction industry, during the time of COVID, via the insightful podcast, BELOW THE LINE (hosted by Robert Skidmore). Season 6 - Ep 9 - COVID-19 - Non-Union Production
LOS ANGELES TIMES
BY ANOUSHA SAKOUI, JUNE 12TH 2020 HOLLYWOOD IS REOPENING WITH DETAILED NEW RULES FOR PRODUCTIONS AMID COVID-19 |
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
BY KATHERINE KILKENNY, MAY 20, 2020 OVER 80 PERCENT OF REALITY TV PROS ARE UNINSURED, RECEIVE NO OVERTIME, NEW SURVEY FINDS |
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
SEPTEMBER 17, 2019 STORY PRODUCERS FACE DECREASING WAGES, TOUGHER WORK CONDITIONS |
MEDIA
NFU strives for consistent media coverage to illuminate our stories and freelancer plight
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PRODUCTION DISRUPTION BY SPECTRUM NEWS
MARCH 29, 2020 The NonFiction “Union” and its members shared their experience on Spectrum News LA, to discuss COVID 19 and industry employment concerns. |
CURRENT NEWS
Non-Fiction Freelancers have a full alliance, one-stop shop with the WGA!
Sunday August 2, 2020
Sunday August 2, 2020
We have exciting news to share! After in-depth discussion that spanned the past year, the NFU has been adopted by the WGA!! We have finally found a home for ALL OF US, FOR EVERY ROLE. The WGA East has been successful in transitioning digital media shops and a few production companies into the WGA fold, with a WGA NonFiction Contract...that covers all creative and logistical roles...from Production Managers to Casting Producers to Post Supervisors to Showrunners and Associate Producers...all have been included under one house, the WGA East house. With big wins at Vice, Fox, Buzzfeed, Hearst, Sharp Entertainment, Lion TV and now Peacock...they are determine to facilitate and help us unionize in the fullest capacity!
Meanwhile, the WGA West is also on the rise to transition production companies into WGA affiliations, with a similar WGA NonFiction Contract. With a recent non-fiction win (turning over a Critical Content game doc series), they are focusing on more production shops to organize. For the first year WGA contracts, freelancers have NO dues or initial fees. They've organized by various tactics and won to get retro-activated standard titles, standard pay rates, portable health insurance and paid overtime. It's a first year contract, and it's amazing! It'll only get better with every passing year. 🙌🙌
With the help of the NFU and freelance workers within non-fiction production companies, we will all rise together. Keep in touch for more of this breaking news!
Meanwhile, the WGA West is also on the rise to transition production companies into WGA affiliations, with a similar WGA NonFiction Contract. With a recent non-fiction win (turning over a Critical Content game doc series), they are focusing on more production shops to organize. For the first year WGA contracts, freelancers have NO dues or initial fees. They've organized by various tactics and won to get retro-activated standard titles, standard pay rates, portable health insurance and paid overtime. It's a first year contract, and it's amazing! It'll only get better with every passing year. 🙌🙌
With the help of the NFU and freelance workers within non-fiction production companies, we will all rise together. Keep in touch for more of this breaking news!
Our NonFiction "Union" IndieGoGo Crowdfunding Campaign is NOW LIVE!
Monday July 20, 2020
Monday July 20, 2020
Hey NFU Members! Please head over to https://igg.me/at/nonfictionunion-raiseourstandards, and watch our fundraising video and DONATE today! We want to keep Raising Our Standards, and getting seed money to organize is an important part of how we do this. Since late 2018, the NFU has been rising and collectivizing (with enthusiastic response from press, unions and all of us). It shows the NFU is needed now more than ever, especially during these uncertain times! We must mobilize in a major way this year to end the abuses, decreasing standards and lack of long term protections.
With our great volunteers, expenses have come from our own pockets, but this needs to end. For our next chapter, we intend to grow the NFU and become a nonprofit organization. From rising NFU operational costs, we'll use your donations for: advertising, website maintenance, legal review, classes/training, newsletters and presentation creation, calling costs, writing, filming and editing expenses, meeting provisions, social media pushes and more!
Please help us by providing your donation and leading others to this essential cause. There's different donation tiers, with awesome perks! Big or small donations, we greatly appreciate it!! And will use it continue our goals of: awareness, advocacy and our rise up into unionization and protections for all of us! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE...
In solidarity,
Johanna & the NFU Core Team
RAISE OUR STANDARDS - OUR FIRST NFU CAMPAIGN
May 20, 2020
May 20, 2020
#RAISEOURSTANDARDS is a video and written presentation to educate and build awareness in our industry and non-industry people...so that an organic call-to-action begins AND we can mobilize. The Hollywood Reporter has offered The NFU an exclusive story about the rise of our labor movement. We plan for a strong media and press push, along with distribution of our written presentation to be utilized. For our 1500+ NFU members, we are also offering seminars to prepare for returning to work, post COVID 19. With union support, we have a signal boost through their communications departments, and are excited about the #ROS four-week campaign run. Through social media content, we urge non-fiction, non-union freelancers to testify, report and seek counsel through our organization and the unions. We strongly believe our workers bees (creative and logistical "producers") deserve better standards, safety protections and fair wages. We're overdue and want to rehabilitate this industry...starting from the top - the networks!
PREMIERED WEDNESDAY MAY 20TH, 2020
The Hollywood Reporter
An Exclusive Article re: the NonFiction "Union"
May 20th, 2020 (Press)
Raise Our Standards- YouTube
Video Link
Raise Our Standards- Written Presentation
Document Link (Viewable Only)
Raise Our Standards- Press Release
(PR Document Link: The Harsh Reality)
We encourage non-fiction freelancers to come out of the shadows and...
RISE UP to low-rate offers and/or unhealthy job situations.
We must #RAISEOURSTANDARDS!