As the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes rage on, digital native creators are recognizing the need for more organized labor in the online video space. The Creators Guild of America (CGA), a nonprofit organization backed by YouTube legend Justine Ezarik (a.k.a. iJustine), is looking to that need.
The CGA officially launched on August 24. It resembles a labor union, but it’s actually a “professional service organization” that provides a litany of benefits to a varied roster of digital media pros. The CGA does not engage in collective bargaining on behalf of its members, but some of its services — such as creator advocacy and networking opportunities — are decidedly union-esque.
Those benefits are not limited to creators. On its website, the CGA provides a list of creatives who are eligible for guild membership, including videographers, designers, marketers, and editors. By joining up with the org, those professionals can ensure that they receive proper credit for the work they produce.
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“Consider how central IMDb.com has become to the film and television industry; no comparable resource exists for creators,” reads an FAQ on the CGA website. “By creating a certified public record of your work—independent of who owns that work or where it’s hosted—you establish yourself as a professional, whose skills have been validated by your partners in the creator economy.”
CGA Founder Daniel Abas, sees the guild’s cross-occupational support as one of its key perks. “Much like in film, it takes an entire group of people to bring that piece of art to life,” Abas told The Information. “Only taking a look at one facet of the creator economy does an injustice to all the other creative people that contribute their time and creative talents.”
After paying $99 in annual dues, CGA members will be divided into three categories. Media members, including on-screen influencers, can qualify for the guild by reaching 15,000 followers and earning at least $15,000 from paid activations. Marketing professionals, such as graphic designers, can earn membership with at least five creative credits and active employment at an agency. A Maker category caters to developers, founders, and other execs.
To assist CGA members, Abas has assembled a strong leadership team. Board members include Ezarik and entertainment attorney Paige Kaplan. Well-traveled exec Phil Ranta of We Are Verified is one of six advisors supporting Abas’ efforts.
The CGA is not the only organization providing stronger representation and solidary for online video pros. A related effort led by longtime creator economy operative and current Night Media President Ezra Cooperstein is also getting off the ground.
These efforts are looking to succeed where previous attempts to organize digital media labor have failed. The most notable of those attempts was the Internet Creators Guild led by Hank Green. The ICG helped members negotiate contracts and fought to raise the price of their brand deals, but it shuttered in 2019 after running out of funding.
Four years later, the online video community is in a different place. The creator economy has exploded, and recent Hollywood strikes have shown creators the importance of organized labor. Two years after SAG-AFTRA started accepting influencer members, more than 115 creators have signed a “labor over likes” pledge that asks them to show solidarity with striking actors and screenwriters.
Will the CGA be able to harness that energy to establish a prominent service organization for creators? If you’re interested in applying for guild membership, head over to the CGA website for more details.
