About 800 writers gathered at the Hollywood Palladium last night to discuss the WGA’s agenda for upcoming negotiations for a new film and television agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The current contract expires on May 1. The membership meeting was the second in the past week – the first attracted 500 attendees – with another meeting planned later this month in LA and another in New York.
In invitations to the meetings, the Guild’s Negotiating Committee informed members: “We will present our proposed negotiating agenda and you will have the opportunity to share your thoughts, ask questions and hear from your peers about what is at stake.”
As one guild member who attended the meetings put it: “We want more.” And in all likelihood, members agree on the WGA’s pursuit of higher wages, more residuals, better benefits and better working conditions.
The possibility of a writer’s strike worries many in the industry, but WGA leaders have urged their members not to believe the rumor mill.
The next phase of the process, which leads to the negotiations themselves, is the Guild’s issuance of a requisition pattern which is prescribed in almost identical language in Article IX – the “Preparation and Approval of Requisitions” – of the statutes and bylaws of the WGA West and WKV East. And it can be a complicated process. This is how it is described in the charter of the WGA West:
The committee will continue to formulate a set of requirements that will be presented to the board for approval and then the template of such requirements will be presented to the members of each guild. The board in the area of primary interest will vote on the claims first, and then the other board will vote. If a majority of the Board of Directors denies the claims in the area of primary interest, it will be referred back to the Negotiation Committee for further investigation, review and resubmission to the Board as mentioned above.
If a majority of the board votes in favor of the area of primary interest and the vote of the board of directors in the area of primary interest in the second vote corresponds to the vote of the area of primary interest by two-thirds ( 2/3), the votes of both councils are counted cumulatively to determine approval or rejection of the claims.
If the claims are rejected on this basis, they will be referred back to the Negotiation Committee for further consideration, revision and resubmission to the councils.
After approval by the boards, the demands will be presented to the members of the guild in the area of primary interest (ie the geographical area where such negotiations are mainly conducted), who will vote first, and then the other guilds will vote. . If a majority of the Guilds’ joint voting members reject the demands, they will be referred back to the Negotiation Committee for further investigation, review and resubmission to the Council and Membership as mentioned above.
After a set of claims has been approved according to the procedure outlined above, the Bargaining Committee begins to negotiate them with the person, firm or corporation with whom settlement is sought.
Source: Deadline
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
