Content workers at MLB Advanced Media have voted to unionize with the Writers Guild of America East. The vote covered 127 Content Department employees. It came while Major League Baseball is in a labor fight with its players’ union over a salary cap. Here is the latest on the vote and what comes next.
Major League Baseball Advanced Media, known as MLBAM, and the Writers Guild of America East, known as WGA East, announced the result on November 11, 2026. The vote involved 127 Content Department employees. These workers produce content in English, Spanish, and Japanese for Major League Baseball. Their work appears on the official MLB website and app. After a majority of the bargaining unit signed union cards, MLBAM and WGA East agreed to an independent election to certify union recognition. The American Arbitration Association ran the election. It found that a majority of the agreed-upon Content bargaining unit voted in favor of unionizing with WGA East.
The workers will now negotiate their first union contract. MLB said it looks forward to working with WGA East as the new representative. The announcement did not set the terms of that contract.
How the Vote Came Together
MLB said it acted immediately once WGA East told it about the effort to organize its Content staff. In its statement, the league said it “worked cooperatively and in good faith to identify the appropriate bargaining unit.” It also said it wanted to “respect the rights of the affected employees to decide whether to unionize.” The league’s account of the process is one of cooperation.
Tom Fontana, president of WGA East, welcomed the workers. He said, “The Guild is excited to welcome more workers from the sports industry into the labor movement.” He said the official MLB website and app produce quality content. He added that the unit “now has earned a seat at the table with Major League Baseball to negotiate a fair first union contract.”
The New York Times reported that the vote may be a first for major U.S. sports leagues. The word “may” matters, since the claim is framed as possible rather than settled. The election followed an agreement between MLBAM and WGA East, reached after a majority of the bargaining unit signed union cards. The American Arbitration Association administered that election.
Separately, MLB is in a labor fight with the players’ union over a salary cap. A possible lockout has been discussed. The content vote came during that dispute. The sides will now bargain over the first contract. The unit now has a seat at the table with MLB, according to WGA East.
The unionization lands while Major League Baseball is already in an ongoing labor fight with the players’ union over a salary cap. The 127 content workers and the players are separate groups. Still, the league now faces organized labor on two fronts at once, and both are happening now. Neither fight has ended.
The content workers unionized to negotiate a fair first union contract. WGA East says the unit now has a seat at the table with MLB to negotiate that deal. The announcement did not specify particular pay or job terms. MLB has said it looks forward to working with the union. The union’s president described the goal in those terms.
In short, 127 content workers at MLBAM voted to unionize with WGA East. They produce content in three languages for MLB. Their first contract will now be negotiated. The vote came as the league faces a labor fight with players over a salary cap. That fight is ongoing.
