Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Our efforts have paid off. On October 20, 2026, the NLRB issued its Decision and Direction of Election in Case 02-RD-383925. We have an election, and now it’s time to turn out and vote.
What we are voting on
Our vote decides whether we remove IBEW Local 1212 as the bargaining representative for the freelance technicians working PPI’s national productions at Madison Square Garden, including TNT, NBA, Cosm, and other work outside MSG Networks. A NO vote removes Local 1212 as our bargaining representative for this work. A YES vote keeps it.
How the NLRB ruled
The NLRB recognized how we actually work. Local 1212 sought an eligibility formula that would have left only about five of the 63 technicians who worked two or more events in the past year eligible to vote, along with an in-person election at MSG. The Regional Director rejected both proposals. Instead, technicians who worked at least two qualifying PPI events at the Garden during the twelve months before October 20, 2026 are eligible to vote, and the election will be by mail, in recognition of our freelance schedules and the fact that many of us work elsewhere. That lets more of us take part.
Know the dates
- November 9, 2026, at 3 p.m.: the NLRB mails ballots to your home address.
- November 18, 2026: if you believe you are eligible but have not received a ballot, call NLRB Region 2 at 212-264-0300.
- November 30, 2026: your ballot must be received by the NLRB by close of business. Mailing it that day is not enough.
- December 1, 2026, at 11 a.m.: ballots are counted at the NLRB Region 2 office.
Your vote is secret. Follow the instructions carefully, mark your ballot, sign the outside of the return envelope, and put it in the U.S. mail promptly. The decision states that an unsigned return envelope will void your ballot.
A question of accountability
One detail in the decision deserves our attention: it states that our last collective bargaining agreement expired on September 30, 2015, more than eleven years ago. That date alone does not establish why no successor agreement was reached. But it raises a fair question about the results we have received and the effort made on our behalf. In all these years before filing this petition, no one has shown me a contract covering these events or asked me to vote on one, and to this day it is difficult to say what agreement PPI pays us from. We deserve transparency, meaningful representation, and a clear understanding of the terms governing our work.
What comes next
Over the coming weeks, I’ll explain what we intend to do if the vote is NO and what a different future could look like for freelance technicians. For now, please read the attached decision, watch your mailbox, and make sure your ballot arrives on time. We have earned the opportunity to decide our future. Let’s use it, stand together, and show everyone what true solidarity looks like.
Thanks,
Wes Pelland
Audio Technician and Petitioner
NLRB Case 02-RD-383925
717-203-9791
wpelland@gmail.com
Attached to the email: Decision and Direction of Election, October 20, 2026 (PDF, 11 pages). Back to voteno1212.com.