WGA members approve negotiating agenda focused on healthcare, compensation and AI
The members of the Writers Guild of America have voted to approve an agenda for negotiations with the studios, which begin March 16.
With 97.4% voting in favor, the union approved a “pattern of demands” that focuses on health care, compensation and artificial intelligence, among other things.
The WGA has already told members that the health fund is in a difficult financial situation, due to the shrinking of the sector and skyrocketing healthcare costs. According to the union, the health fund has suffered eight-figure losses over the past four years, totaling $205 million, and will run out of money in the next three years if nothing changes.
The pattern of requirements calls on employers to contribute more to pension and health insurance funds, and to agree to increase the compensation limits on which contributions are calculated. In last week’s memo to members, the WGA also warned of the need for “plan design changes that will save money while maintaining access to high-quality providers.”
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which negotiates on behalf of the studios, published a December report arguing that Hollywood workers enjoy very generous benefits compared to the typical employer-based plan.
As always in negotiations, the WGA will seek to increase minimum compensation rates. It will also look to make gains on two key points from the 2023 strike: artificial intelligence and streaming residuals.
The pattern of demands does not refer to another major strike problem: minimum staffing for TV programs. In the 2023 deal, the WGA won a provision to effectively eliminate “mini-rooms” — in which a small group of writers would work on multiple scripts at a reduced rate while a project was still in development. The WGA also won staff minimums for shows once they were greenlit, ranging from three to six writers depending on the length of the season.
While the requirements pattern does not address minimum staffing levels, it does touch on a related issue: the compensation of writers who participate in post-production. It also highlights “free work,” a perennial concern among feature film writers that has spilled over into the TV world in recent years.
The requirements pattern is a bare outline of the subject areas. Detailed proposals will be submitted to the AMPTP once negotiations begin, but will be kept secret while negotiations are ongoing.
