ABC News digital staff vote unanimously to join WGA East

ABC News digital employees have voted unanimously to unionize with the Writers Guild of America East, expanding the guild’s representation within the network’s news division.

Ballots counted Friday, July 31, 2026, showed unanimous support among participating members of the approximately 50-person bargaining unit. The group includes digital reporters, editors, video producers and social media producers working on ABCNews.com and ABC News’ social platforms. 

The vote followed an agreement between the union and American Broadcasting Companies Inc. establishing the process through which the digital employees could seek representation. ABC News and WGAE characterized their discussions as productive and said both sides were committed to maintaining a collaborative workplace.

Unit members said they sought representation as ABC News and the broader media industry navigate changes in technology, audience behavior and newsroom operations. The employees said they want a role in shaping the network’s digital future while joining other unionized workers at ABC News and Disney.

WGAE President Tom Fontana said the guild has represented ABC News employees since the 1960s and will now turn its attention toward negotiating workplace protections for the digital staff. The union also represents digital employees at CBS News and broadcast, streaming or promotional workers at several other news organizations. 

The new unit will bargain for its first contract separately from the WGAE-represented broadcast employees at ABC News.

That group ratified a three-year agreement in January 2025 that included annual raises, additional benefits and restrictions governing the use of generative artificial intelligence. Under the contract, ABC News agreed not to lay off existing staff covered by the deal and must provide notice before introducing certain AI systems into their work. 

The organizing effort comes amid continuing restructuring across ABC News and Disney’s television businesses. Disney eliminated about 200 positions across ABC News Group and Disney Entertainment Networks in March 2025, while ABC News consolidated several operations and shut down the FiveThirtyEight political data site.

Advertisement