Columbus, OH — Technicians employed by Program Productions, responsible for television broadcasts of the Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL), Columbus Crew (MLS), and Ohio State University Athletics have voted overwhelmingly to unionize with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). The unit, comprising approximately 100 skilled workers, performs essential broadcast roles including camera operation, audio engineering, and graphics production.
The unit began their efforts in 2024, collecting union authorization cards and reaching a majority support by early 2025. The campaign culminated in a successful election on June 30th, which demonstrated overwhelming support for representation, with 92% of votes cast in favor of the union. The win mirrors a similar effort by sports broadcast workers in Cleveland, who unionized with IATSE two years prior.
“This community of workers mobilized swiftly and sent a clear message: they would no longer accept falling behind industry standards already secured by broadcast technicians nationwide,” said IATSE Representative Rachel McLendon. “Their focus and commitment never wavered.”
With this win, Columbus technicians join a growing number of cities where broadcast sports workers are uniting under the IATSE banner to raise standards and ensure fair treatment across the industry. If you are interested in joining the movement, head to iatse.net/join to contact an organizer.
