The Ringer Union says 30 employees were paid less than interns last summer

In December, The Ringer Union announced that it had begun negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the Spotify-owned company.

But with the current CBA just weeks away from expiring, an agreement has yet to be reached. On Tuesday, the union took to X to provide an update on the ongoing negotiations, while making some surprising claims about the Bill Simmons-founded company’s current pay structure.

“Today, we returned to the bargaining table, and were incredibly disappointed to hear that management continues to propose a contract that does not address key issues. Ringer managers persist in presenting salary minimums that are below the pay scale of INTERNS,” the union posted on Tuesday. “More than 30 full-time Ringer Union members—including employees who have worked here for years—were paid less than interns last summer. Ringer managers expect us to accept a contract that does not address this issue. It’s unacceptable and offensive to members of our unit.”

More than 30 full-time Ringer Union members—including employees who have worked here for years—were paid less than interns last summer. Ringer managers expect us to accept a contract that does not address this issue. It’s unacceptable and offensive to members of our unit.

— Ringer Union (@RingerUnion) February 13, 2024

It’s worth noting that the Ringer Union was referencing the company’s pay scale and not its overall pay. And without knowing more about The Ringer’s intern program or the 30 employees referenced, it’s difficult to make much of a judgment on the matter from afar.

Nevertheless, such salaries appear to be a major sticking point in The Ringer’s ongoing CBA negotiations. In recent weeks, The Ringer Union also noted that the two sides remain apart on subjects including layoff and severance protections, artificial intelligence and intellectual property.

We want protections against artificial intelligence because AI can’t replace our work. Ringer managers spoke publicly last year about supporting Hollywood writers and actors in their fight against AI. Why won’t they show their own writers and producers the same support?

— Ringer Union (@RingerUnion) February 12, 2024

We wrapped up another round of back to back all day bargaining last week. While we’ve made notable progress in some areas, we remain far apart on key issues that our union values like economics, IP, and artificial intelligence.

— Ringer Union (@RingerUnion) January 23, 2024

Unsurprisingly, the management side of The Ringer has remained publicly silent on the negotiations, so it’s difficult to truly know how far apart the two sides are at this point. The clock, however, is ticking, with the current CBA that was first signed in 2021 set to expire after Feb. 29, according to a copy of the agreement.

[The Ringer Union on X, The Writers Guild of America, East]