It took until thirty minutes past the midnight deadline, but the WGA ended victorious with a (tentative) deal — and no strike!
Well, until everything gets ratified.
Here’s the pretty picture of the winning committee:
#WGA negotiating committee ?????? #wgaunity pic.twitter.com/SdhvOxdBKh
— Ellen Stutzman (@ellenstutzman) May 2, 2017
And here’s the official WGA letter:
Dear Colleagues–
Your Negotiating Committee is pleased to report that we have reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP that we can recommend for ratification.
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.
We won a 15% increase in Pay TV residuals, roughly $15 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.
That result, and that resolve, is a testament to you, your courage, and your faith in us as your representatives.
We will, of course, provide more details in the next few days. But until then, we just wanted to thank you – and congratulate you. Your voices were indeed heard.
Your 2017 Negotiating Committee
Chip Johannessen, Co-Chair
Chris Keyser, Co-Chair
Billy Ray, Co-ChairAlfredo Barrios, Jr.
Amy Berg
Adam Brooks
Patti Carr
Zoanne Clack
Marjorie David
Kate Erickson
Jonathan Fernandez
Travon Free
Howard Michael Gould
Susannah Grant
Erich Hoeber
Richard Keith
Warren Leight
Damon Lindelof
Glen Mazzara
Alison McDonald
Jonathan Nolan
Zak Penn
Luvh Rakhe
Shawn Ryan
Stephen Schiff
David Shore
Meredith Stiehm
Patric M. Verrone
Eric Wallace
Beau Willimon
Nicole YorkinHoward A. Rodman, WGAW President, ex-officio
Michael Winship, WGAE President, ex-officio
David A. Goodman, WGAW Vice President, ex-officio
Jeremy Pikser, WGAE Vice President, ex-officio
Aaron Mendelsohn, WGAW Secretary-Treasurer, ex-officio
Bob Schneider, WGAE Secretary-Treasurer, ex-officio
The deal still needs to be voted on, but it seems like it’s gonna pass considering the major gains.
Just the fact that an episode span definition has been reached (2.4 weeks per) and added into the MBA is a huge step forward. Can’t wait to read the details on the new options/exclusivity protections.
If you’re wondering what that 96.3% sign people are holding, it’s the overwhelming number of WGA members who voted in favor of the strike during the strike authorization vote last week — thereby putting pressure on the AMPTP.
After weeks of negotiations, here’s a huge THANK YOU to the amazing WGA committee, as well as all WGA members who voted yes on the SAV.
Let’s breath a collective sigh of relief, as I continue saying…
Write on.
