Candidate for Council, Film/TV/Streaming Sector
Hi there! I’m Erica Saleh, a TV writer and Showrunner, and the Vice President of Film, Television, Streaming sector of the WGAE. This year, I’m running for re-election as a council member.
I joined the WGAE ten years ago, in 2015, when I got staffed in a NY based writer’s room. Before that, I had been a playwright, scrapping together a living through gig work. The stable paycheck that my TV job gave me, along with healthcare, was life changing. And, as a playwright married to a journalist, I knew that this kind of stability as a writer was very hard to come by. I also knew that it wouldn’t happen in TV or film either, if not for our union. I decided from the minute I got my union card that I owed my service to this Guild that has given me so much. So I got involved.
Since then, I have risen through the TV writing ranks, currently I’m an Executive Producer on Netflix’s upcoming Unaccustomed Earth, which we’re shooting here in NYC (thanks to those tax credits our union fought so hard for!). As I worked my way up in writer’s rooms, I have also worked tirelessly for the Guild: I have served on Council for five years: Three as a council member and two as your Vice President of FTS. I’m extremely proud of the work I’ve done on Council: As a member of the organizing committee I’ve helped steer the direction of our organizing, where we’ve had big wins expanding into podcasts, and gaining children’s animation in our Sesame Contract! As a member of our Executive Search Committee, I was one of six council members who interviewed new executive director candidates and recommended the excellent Sam Wheeler for the job — and he’s absolutely killing it, as we knew he would!
I also served on the MBA Negotiating Committee in both 2020 and 202. In 2023, alongside my fellow NegCom members, I worked tirelessly to get the contract we needed and deserve. I am incredibly proud of the work we did, but I am even more proud of – and grateful for – the solidarity and strength this union showed throughout the strike.
Now, two years out from the strike, our industry has contracted and so many of our members are still fighting to get back to work. I’m not going to pretend that Council can change the contraction of our industry. What we can do — and what I will continue to do if re-elected— is make sure that our members fully know and take advantage of their contractual rights, and the gains we made in 2023: From script fees for staff writers, to premium fees for mini rooms, to minimum staffing in rooms, and writers staying on in production. And, as we enter another contract negotiation in 2026, we can push to build on these gains, and we can listen to our fellow members about what’s most important to YOU in the 2026 MBA.
But the work doesn’t end with the MBA. There is so much more for us to advocate for beyond this contract. Here are some of the areas I will prioritize as a member of council:
EQUITY AND ACCESS: As a Middle-Eastern-American woman I am extremely passionate about issues of equity and access. I will fight for more opportunities at every stage for under-represented writers. We need to see BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and women writers being hired more, promoted more, and in more positions of leadership. We must hold studios accountable by tracking who they are meeting with, hiring, retaining, and promoting. But there’s also a lot we can do from within. Just like studios, our Showrunners (myself included) should be held accountable for who they are meeting with, hiring, retaining, and promoting.
LEADERSHIP and TRAINING: I will work to expand our leadership training and mentorship opportunities on the East coast. We need more training and mentorship programs, particularly in NY. I believe that the more Showrunners and producer-level writers we have here, the more rooms we will have. To that end, I would like to our existing Showrunner training program become accessible to more people. I will also work to establish additional leadership and mentorship programs, including ongoing Showrunning training so that our member Showrunners are maximally equipped to advocate for their staff, themselves, and their shows to their studios.
ORGANIZING: I will continue my work on the organizing committee to help steer our organizing efforts toward targets that make a real impact for our guild and our members. In the face of industry contraction, it’s especially important to continue our organizing efforts in other areas where our members work, from podcasts to animation to online media and broadcast news.
Thank you for taking the time to read. I hope my positions resonate with you, and that I’ve earned your vote. I am so proud of our Guild and would be honored to continue to represent you on Council.
Responses to Candidate Questions
1. What do you think is the most pressing issue facing the Guild and what steps will you take to address it?
In short, the most pressing issue facing writers today is fewer jobs for less pay. As our industry contracts it’s getting harder and harder for writers to make a stable living in TV and Film. I won’t pretend that we can make studios buy more scripts or green light more shows. But what we can do – and what I will do – is fight for the jobs we have to be jobs that provide a stable living. This means writers know the protections and rights they already have. It means fighting free work in the form of endless producer passes. It means demanding that writers are paid for post. And above all it means continuing to build on the historic gains of our 2023 MBA: We succeeded in protecting the very existence of writers rooms by guaranteeing staffing minimums. Now we need to make sure that the maximum is not the minimum and we need to add guaranteed spots for lower level writers in the MBA. We also established a performance based residual for streaming shows – a hugely important foot in the door, that we must expand on in future contracts to finally bring streaming residuals in line with the network residuals writers that have kept generations of writers afloat between jobs.
2. WGAE is divided into three sectors: Film, Television, and Streaming; Broadcast, Cable, and Streaming News, and; Online Media. How will you work with and represent all Guild members, including those outside of your own work sector?
I have been working with my peers across sectors for the past five years on Council, and look forward to continuing to do so. Ultimately, we all work for the same parent corporations and face many of the same challenges: Industry contraction, decreased job stability, and threats to our freedom of speech. Some of the work I’m most proud of as a member of Council is my work on the organizing committee, which is made up of reps from all three sectors, where we work together to identify appropriate organizing targets and share strategies and best practices for expanding our guild’s reach and protections.
3. What qualities or characteristics do you look for in a Guild leader?
Being a working writer with a desire to listen to and selflessly represent their fellow members.
4. What do you think WGAE’s role should be in the broader labor movement?
I think it’s essential that the WGAE is a loud and relentless voice in the broader labor movement. We are one of the strongest unions in this country and it is our responsibility to use our voice and influence to support labor, unions, and the organizing movement in this country. Unions are a beacon of hope, and a backstop against the horrors of late capitalism, and it has never been more important to hold strong and speak up for workers everywhere.
Endorsements
Megan Abbott, Sofia Alvarez, Chiara Atik, Dominic Colon, Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, Bonnie Datt, Sara David, Lee Ellenberg, Kaitlin Fontana, Gabrielle Fulton, Elizabeth Godvik, Joshua Gondelman, Tian Jun Gu, Dylan Guerra, Hallie Haglund, Logan Hill, Liz Hynes, Tom Kemnitz, Jr, Christopher Kyle, Kate Melville, Michael Mitnick, Sarah Montana, Kathryn Neumark, Daniel Pearle, CQ Quintana, Sharyn Rothstein, Oriana Schwindt, Aurin Squire, Sasha Stewart, Suzanne Weber, Colleen Werthmann
Endorse Erica Saleh for Council, Film/TV/Streaming Sector
Note: WGAW members who wish to endorse a candidate may follow the process outlined in section G.1.B of the 2025 Election Policy.
