Crooked Media, Producer of ‘Pod Save America,’ Reaches Deal With Union, Which Withdraws Claim Company Engaged in Union-Busting Tactics

Crooked Media and the union representing workers at the progressive media company, which is behind popular show “Pod Save America,” said in a joint statement they reached an agreement on a contract after more than a year of negotiations. The WGA East-affiliated Crooked Media Workers Union also withdrew its allegation that the company had take “union-busting” actions.

The announcement came after members of the WGA East-affiliated union staged a one-day work stoppage on Aug. 5 to protest the lack of progress on a deal.

“We’re delighted to have agreed on a contract that we all feel reflects the values of Crooked Media and that can serve as a new benchmark for our industry,” the parties said in the statement Friday. “The union is also withdrawing the unfair labor charge and can unequivocally say that Crooked and its founders have upheld and continue to live up to the progressive principles, including support for unions, that our audience should expect.”

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The statement concluded, “Bargaining can be contentious, but we’re excited about this agreement and ready to channel the immense talent, passion, and creativity of this team into calling JD Vance a creepy weirdo.”

Crooked Media co-founder and “Pod Save America” co-host Jon Favreau said in a post on X, “We’re proud of this deal because it sets a new standard for how media companies treat their workers – which is exactly what we set out to do when we first recognized the union. We also appreciate the union clarifying that we never engaged in any kind of union-busting, and are glad they withdrew the unfair labor practice charge, which — as we said when it was first filed — was based on nothing more than a misunderstanding.”

The Crooked Media Workers Union had been pushing for a deal that would provide “fair and competitive salary minimums, annual cost-of-living adjustments, and safeguards against layoffs, along with a range of benefits and company policies that truly embody Crooked Media’s progressive values.”

Crooked Media was founded in 2017 by a trio of former Obama administration aides — Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor.

On July 29, WGA East had filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge against Crooked Media with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging the company violated the National Labor Relations Act for “unilaterally changing the status quo of the previously negotiated Recognition Agreement and by insisting on a permissive subject of bargaining.” Specifically, Crooked Media has “systematically excluded multiple staff members from the bargaining unit in an effort to undermine the union and deprive those workers of their collective bargaining rights,” according to the union. The union has now withdrawn those allegations.