Writers Guild Members Ratify New Contract
(APRIL 30, 2014) The members of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) have ratified a new, three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
The WGA membership overwhelmingly voted in favor of ratifying the contract by 98.5 percent. Of the 1,193 valid votes cast there were 1,175 “yes” votes and 18 “no” votes (1.5 percent). There were 8,218 eligible voters. The term of the agreement is from May 2, 2014 through May 1, 2017.
“Each negotiating cycle is marked by the hard work of the Negotiating Committee, member volunteers, and Guild staff. Our thanks go out to all of those who contributed to the process and to the members who participated in the ratification vote. We continue to build on the battles won by our predecessors and fight for the rights of generations to come,” said WGAE President Michael Winship and WGAW President Chris Keyser.
Gains made in the contract include increases to writers’ minimum compensation rates, increased contributions the Guild’s Pension Plan, minimums for subscription video-on-demand programs, increased residuals for ad-supported streaming, outsized increases in script minimums for one-hour basic cable writers, a doubling of the theatrical script publication fee, and a brand new provision limiting the options and exclusivity requirements often imposed on episodic television writers.
The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) are labor unions representing writers in motion pictures, television, cable, new media, and broadcast news. The Guilds negotiate and administer contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of their members; conduct programs, seminars, and events on issues of interest to writers; and present writers’ views to various bodies of government. For more information on the Writers Guild of America, West, visit www.wga.org. For more information on the Writers Guild of America, East, visit www.wgaeast.org.
