John Oliver, David Simon, HBO Writers Pressure Vice to Make Deal With Writers Guild

By Dave McNary

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – John Oliver, David Simon, Eric Overmyer, Tom Fontana, and Warren Leight are among the 78 writers of HBO shows who have signed a petition urging Vice Media to pen a contract with the Writers Guild of America East.

“As Writers Guild members, we have protections under a collective bargaining agreement,” the petition reads. “Our fellow union members at deserve no less.”

Editorial staffers at Vice ratified their first contract in 2016. About 430 Vice Media employees unionized last year, with the company management agreeing to be represented through the WGA East and the Motion Picture Editors Guild.

This petition shows what WGAE solidarity looks like,” the WGA East said. “Just as our members who craft shows for 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.”

A Vice spokesperson said they are “confident” that an agreement will be reached in the “near future”

“We have been supportive of Vice union efforts from the very beginning, and have continued to negotiate in good faith,” Vice said in a statement.