Iety wants to earn various script fees in WGA contract-agreement

Leaders of the Writers Guild of America are looking for various improvements in script fees for writers as the Guild begins negotiating master contracts with studios this week.

Motion picture and television producers and representatives of the WGA alliance face the expiration of the current film and TV contract on June 30. The two start dates are being discussed remotely due to the coronavirus epidemic after being vacated.

“The minimum increase in script fees and salaries was part of every WGA MBA in history,” the WGA said in a message addressed to committee members. “But now there is no need to do more than before. Members need to understand why these proposals are necessary. Lowest. “

The WGA’s negotiating committee said it would limit the discount fees, increase the minimum feature fee, increase the minimum for the team and set the fee for streaming services.

“The MBA sets a minimum amount for the initial compensation of authors as a means of making a fair living and for our industry,” the message said. “Although some of us earn more than the minimum, the increased minimum affects all writers. For example, on television, contributions to pensions and health funds are paid from the applicable minimum to 26 times. If the minimum increase is, make contributions to the funds. As such, individual authors and critics of the minimum raise, in favor of the strength of our pension plans and health funds. The minimum is the basis on which many of our remnants are calculated. “

“For these reasons, we want a minimum increase across the board, including a weekly minimum of mini-rooms. We are also addressing a number of contract provisions that are outdated and exceed the minimum standards. To that end, we propose:

Limited discounts on minimum: MBAs currently offer minimum discounts in many cases that are considered unnecessary. We want to increase the number of completely new writers discounts and guaranteed work weeks before the minimum discount for studio comedy-variety writers. The MBA also allows our employers to pay a reduced TV weekly minimum if they guarantee a certain number of working days. However, while working in so-called “mini-rooms”, the maximum number of writers is being paid only the minimum wage, so we must increase the number of weeks before we can be allowed a discount, which must be guaranteed.

Free Script Fee for Features: We must also increase the minimum script fee for screenwriters and ensure that screenwriters working for streaming services receive adequate minimum compensation. Netflix, Amazon and Apple released 50 feature films last year and HBO Max recently announced that it will enter the feature film market. We must ensure that authors who work for these services, whether released in theaters or not, will be paid a minimum price for their plays.

Minimum raise for the team: Two writing teams with the same minimum salary as a single writer first appeared in the MBA when a team could work hard enough to make a comfortable living. But the growing trend of short order series is not financially useless for many, at least working as a TV writing team. We have to protect both the screen and the TV writer in the team by establishing at least one team. Two or three people, even if they are part of a team, contribute more than one writer.

New Streaming Minimum: Some of us working for streaming services do not earn minimum. For low-budget streaming jokes and dramas, weekly compensation and script fees are entirely negotiable, so we need to reduce budget breaks to ensure a negotiable minimum for writers. Comedy-streaming shows on streaming services – unlike television – currently have no minimum. This also needs to change.

AMPTP had no immediate comment.