The Writers Guild of America has released the rules that would take effect if the organization decides to strike when its current contract expires May 1.
While the WGA has not yet made a decision to strike, the guild is currently in active negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for a new contract, and 98 percent of members have voted to approve a strike if there is a new deal comes. not yet reached.
The principle behind the rules, the organization wrote in an email to members, is that writers or their agents are not allowed to meet or negotiate with an affected business or county writing services or sell literary materials or option to an affected business.
During a strike, writers are not allowed to write, revise, pitch, or discuss future projects with companies that are members of the AMPTP. If members fail to abide by the rules, the Guild may issue disciples for violations, including but not limited to expulsion or suspension of membership, imposition of monetary fines, or censorship.
The Directors Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA have both released statements in support of the WGA, calling on studios and streamers to work with the organization in contract negotiations.
Some of the rules are:
- In addition to the obvious comments when the strike begins, writers are prohibited from “attending meetings or entering into conversations as a writer about new, ongoing or future projects or writing assignments with producers, directors or other representatives of an affected company. ”
- Fiction podcasts for affected companies are covered by the work stoppage
- Literary representatives must stop negotiations for striking writers during the strike
- Writers are instructed to “notify the Guild of the name of any writer you have reason to believe is engaged in scab writing or other strike-breaking activity”
- Writers are required to pick as assigned unless they have an accepted medical exception, personal circumstances, or other employment.
- Certain union animation projects fall under WGA jurisdiction, while others fall under the purview of The Animation Guild (an IATSE Local). During a strike, the guild advises that all writing on WGA-covered titles should stop. Others “are advised to consult with staff at the Guild’s strike headquarters to determine the extent to which such writing is permitted or prohibited before providing services to an affected company.”
- If a strike is ordered, the WGA tells its members to inform companies to return or delete any “spec” scripts previously submitted to those entities.
- In an effort to prevent union members from attempting to resolve a potential strike on their own, the WGA also orders members: “Do not attempt to negotiate a settlement of the strike with an affected company.”
- “Hyphenates” – writers who also serve in other roles – are also told not to do any writing duties at all during the strike.
- Regarding Non-Members: The Guild has no authority to penalize non-members for breaking strikes or writing scab. However, the guild can and will exclude that writer from future guild membership.
More to come…
