WGA East recommends changing its constitution to “fully embrace” all members and end its digital divide

WGA East, whose leaders spoke openly last year about turning digital news members into a separate union, is now fully embracing them by proposing changes to the Guild’s constitution, providing a “balanced representation” of its different members in its governing body. Sectors of work.

Guild said that to ensure representation of all members in its governing body, its board of directors unanimously advises members to approve amendments to the constitution that include the creation of three vice presidents for the labor sector, including members working in film / television / streaming, broadcast / cable. / Streaming media and news online.

The constitutional amendments will be put to a vote by the members in the spring of this year. Meanwhile, the Guild announces that it will launch a campaign called #NextChapter to encourage members to approve the changes. The Guild will also hold virtual room discussions in April to share more information with members about the proposed changes. Members will receive more information about the changes via email in the coming days.

“The WGAE Board has spent the past few months working together and with an outside facilitator,” said Michael Winship, president of WGA East. “I think I speak for everyone involved when I say it was a learning process where everyone exchanged views and listened to each other. Now we are united. I am thrilled with the result and the next chapter of this union of brave storytellers. “

An organizational resolution passed by the board requires the appointment of an organizing committee made up of board members from all walks of life who meet regularly to consult and consult with staff about the goals of the potential organization and require an increase in the organizational budget to aggressively increase . Guilds are fair in all areas.

“I am thrilled that our governing body has not only agreed to formally increase our engagement with the organization, but also to build a process for working together to address the challenges in the employment sector,” said Sarah David. member. A card that works in online media. “These changes mark an exciting new chapter for WGA East, where we can negotiate stronger contracts, expand our organizational work and ensure that all members’ voices are heard.”

“The organizational resolution and constitutional changes, when combined, mark an exciting new chapter for the Guild, where members have better board representation and we will have aggressive new organizational goals that benefit all,” said Gail Lee, member of the Advice. . “Accepting these changes was not easy, but I am proud that all members of the board want to have difficult but necessary conversations.”

The Guild, which aggressively hosted digital news in recent years, came to a halt last year due to concern that writers and news producers made up the bulk of the Guild’s members.

WGA East considers transferring Digital News members to a new “existential threat” union.

Concerns were raised during the guild and council officer elections last summer, with Chris Kyle, the newly elected general secretary, opposing the move, warning that the influx of writers and digital news producers could represent an “existential threat” to the guild. “It’s falling apart.”

Just a few years ago, the vast majority of guild members were writers and TV screenwriters. But in the past six years, dozens of digital press releases, such as Salon, Slate, and HuffPost, have begun to change the Union’s demographics so dramatically that its digital broadcast and news members have become the majority of the Union’s members. Guild.

During last year’s election, which was a referendum on the future of the Guild, Winship, who even ran without voting, told Deadline that the digital media organization had generated so many new members that we had to quit. “Just stop for a moment and get to where we are.”

However, the Solidarity Opposition Guild dominated the controversial municipal tenders, campaigning on the belief that “it is important that we continue to organize the whole industry.”

The WGA Eastern Council unanimously supported the resumption of the organization of digital news networks

The two sides repaired the barriers in February, when the board unanimously supported the resumption of the digital news organization. The Guild said in a statement: “As the media industry continues to come together across different sectors, the WGAE Council is considering how to address changes in Guild membership and how to ensure that the Union can meet all needs. Members: In digital broadcast and news, podcasts, television screenwriting and non-fiction, feature films and public service broadcasts.