The members of the Writers Guild of America have voted to approve an agenda for bargaining with the studios, which is set to begin on 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 issues.
The WGA has already told members that the health fund is facing a dire financial situation, due to the industry contraction and skyrocketing health costs. According to the union, the health fund has suffered eight-figure losses for the past four years, totaling $205 million, and the fund will run out of money in the next three years if nothing changes.
The pattern of demands calls for employers to contribute more to the pension and health funds, and for them to agree to increase the compensation caps upon which contributions are assessed. In the memo to members last week, the WGA also warned of the need for “plan design changes that will save money while preserving access to high-quality providers.”
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which bargains on behalf of the studios, published a report in December arguing that Hollywood workers enjoy very generous benefits compared to the typical employer-based plan.
As always in bargaining, the WGA will be seeking to increase minimum compensation rates. It will also seek to make gains on two major issues from the 2023 strike: artificial intelligence and streaming residuals.
The pattern of demands does not cite another major strike issue: minimum staffing on TV shows. In the 2023 deal, the WGA won a provision to effectively do away with “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 staffing minimums for shows once they are greenlit, ranging from three to six writers depending on the length of the season.
Though the pattern of demands does not address minimum staffing, it does touch a related issue — compensation of writers who participate in post-production. It also highlights “free work,” a perennial concern among feature writers that has spilled over into the TV business in recent years.
The pattern of demands is a bare outline of topic areas. Detailed proposals will be presented to the AMPTP once bargaining begins, but will be kept under wraps while negotiations are underway.
