Employees of the Secretly Group, which is made up of four independent record labels - Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans and Ghostly International - as well as Secretly Distribution, Secretly Publishing and Numero Group, began the process of forming their own union earlier this week, after outlining their issues to the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU Local 174).
A statement uploaded to socials from Secretly Group Union details some of the issues as to why the employees want to unionise. Those issues include "poor wages, inadequate benefits, lack of work/life boundaries, gatekeeping that obstructs professional development, and an absence of initiatives that address systemic race and gender inequality."
The statement added, "We seek Secretly Group's recognition of the union to address these issues that are unsustainable for the well-being of our stagg and thus the company at large."
Yesterday (25 March) Secretly Group Union updated its socials to confirm that Secretly Group management "has responded to our request, and has agreed to voluntarily recognise our union!"
WE DID IT Thanks so much for your continued support as we enter the bargaining process for a better future for all at SG and, we hope, the music industry at large too. pic.twitter.com/r5EoA31qqT
— Secretly Group Union (@secretlyunion) March 25, 2021
The Secretly Group Union committee also confirmed in a statement shared by Rolling Stone's Kim Kelly that their union reps will "make things official" today (26 March).
Secretly Union Group, once official, will be the first independent label union.
