Writer’s Strike Averted
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A tentative agreement hammered out early this morning between the Writers Guild of America and the AMPTP studio alliance should mean no strike for Hollywood’s writers.
“Your Negotiating Committee is pleased to report that we have reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP that we can recommend for ratification,” said the WGA in a memo to its members, which went on to provide details of the three-year deal.
“In it, we made gains in minimums across the board – as well as contribution increases to our Health Plan that should ensure its solvency for years to come. And we further expanded our protections in Options and Exclusivity.
“We also made unprecedented gains on the issue of short seasons in television, winning a definition (which has never before existed in our MBA) of 2.4 weeks of work for each episodic fee. Any work beyond that span will now require additional payment for hundreds of writer-producers.”
There will also be a “fifteen percent increase in Pay TV residuals, roughly fifteen million in increases in High-Budget SVOD residuals, and, for the first time ever, residuals for comedy-variety writers in Pay TV. And, also for the first time ever, job protection on Parental Leave.
“Did we get everything we wanted? No. Everything we deserve? Certainly not. But because we had the near-unanimous backing of you and your fellow writers, we were able to achieve a deal that will net this Guild’s members $130 million more, over the life of the contract, than the pattern we were expected to accept.”
The new deal will have to be approved by the WGA and its members will have to ratify it.
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