The founder of an online liberal media outlet urged his employees to resist a push to unionize, warning that the costs of a union could tank the company.
Cenk Uygur, co-founder of the Young Turks, led an all-staff meeting on Feb. 12 that was supposed to focus on other matters but devolved into and agurment involving a budding push to unionize, according to HuffPost.
Prior to the meeting, a Twitter account claiming to be the Young Turks’s union tweeted that the company was “proud … to put into practice in our workplace the values that our work helps to bring to the screen everyday.”
The crew of @TheYoungTurks has organized! #UnionStrong #TooStrong #tytlive pic.twitter.com/dAxsm7APci
— TYTUnion (@TYTUnion) February 12, 2020
Uygur, who also works as a host on the platform, is a vocal advocate for unions but told his employees that the small outlet of roughly 65 employees was the wrong place for such a labor group because the company would not be able to cover the additional costs that come with meeting the demands of a union, two people who attended the meeting told HuffPost.
The co-founder reportedly threw a handful of papers on the ground in frustration before berating one employee who he thought was smiling and trivializing the possible end of the company.
“The reality is, we’re in a precarious position,” Uygur later said. “We’re in a digital media landscape where almost no one makes money or is sustainable.”
“For a smaller digital media company, those are absolutely real considerations. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a union,” he added. “Everyone should know the full context … If folks say they don’t believe we’re in a precarious position: OK. And that’s their decision to make.”
The Young Turks tweeted a statement on Monday, defending Uygur’s position while reasserting that the company would go along with whatever the employees decide. Under the current plan, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees would represent the production and post-production staff, which make up about a quarter of the company.
The statement also criticized the IATSE union, alleging that it is working primarily to harm Uygur’s campaign for former California Rep. Katie Hill’s abandoned House seat. The union has endorsed Uygur’s primary opponent, California state Assemblywoman Christy Smith.
“Given the unusual circumstances here — @IATSE not only is actively campaigning against the founder of the company in his political race, but also has clearly acted in bad faith,” the Young Turks said. “It would be absurd to accept that they truly represent the wishes of our employees without verification.”
(8/10) —it would be absurd to accept that they truly represent the wishes of our employees without verification.
— The Young Turks (@TheYoungTurks) February 24, 2020
“If our employees confirm that they really do want this union to represent them, that changes the equation completely. We believe our employees are the ones who should decide and we continue to call for an immediate secret ballot,” the statement continued.
(10/10) If @IATSE doesn’t agree, it’s obvious they never had the support of our employees and this was all a ploy to intimidate us and the people who work at TYT.
— The Young Turks (@TheYoungTurks) February 24, 2020
