Comedy Central relies on these writers to craft the brand of innovative and edgy television that has made the network so popular with audiences and advertisers. Without a guild agreement in place, Comedy Central can not guarantee Viacom shareholders the same high quality programming they have come to expect or that production of its most popular shows will continue uninterrupted.

The WGA announced several weeks ago that writers on six major shows for Comedy Central Network had organized to seek union representation by the WGA. The staff writers of hit series Mind of Mencia, The Sarah Silverman Program, Reno 911!, The Showbiz Show with David Spade, and upcoming series Lil’ Bush and American Body Shop collectively demand that Comedy Central agree to a union contract that would cover their series.

While writers at Comedy Central’s New York-based The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report have recently organized with the WGA, the majority of writers at Viacom’s cable network are still not currently covered by a WGA agreement.