Yesterday Evening’s breaking news:
via TVWriter™ Press Service
July 29, 2020
To Our Fellow Members:
We are pleased to announce that our joint memberships have ratified our new contract with the AMPTP by an overwhelming majority of 98%. Of the 4,155 valid votes cast, there were 4,068 “yes” votes and 87 “no” votes (2%). The term of the new deal is May 2, 2020 through May 1, 2023.
We achieved many important gains in this agreement, including: needed funding for our Pension Plan; increases to our minimum compensation rates; increased residuals and lowered budget breaks for High Budget Subscription Video on Demand (HBSVOD); a first-ever Portable Paid Parenting Benefit Fund; eliminating “new writer” discounts for screen and television writers and the writers’ training program that disproportionately impacted writers in underrepresented groups; improved options, exclusivity, and span protections; a higher script publication fee; and strengthening the right to meet with employers about their inclusion and equity programs and anti-harassment measures. You can find an FAQ about the terms of the 2020 MBA here and a summary of the new contract here.
Despite the challenges to this negotiating cycle posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to achieve a forward-looking contract with improvements that will serve writers’ interests for the next three years. This would not have been possible without the hard work of the Negotiating Committee (led by co-chairs Michele Mulroney, Shawn Ryan, and Betsy Thomas), member volunteers, and Guild staff. Our thanks go out to all who contributed to the process and to the members who participated in the ratification vote.
In Solidarity,
David A. Goodman, President, WGAW
Beau Willimon, President, WGAE