The Writers Guild of America is a closed-shop union for writers who work in cable and broadcast television, motion pictures, radio, and new media industries. This means only WGA members can work for production companies that are signatory to the guild.
A signatory company is one that has signed a collective bargaining agreement with WGA. Guild members are prohibited from working for or selling their work to non-signatory companies. Screenwriters who are not members can only sell their work to non-signatory companies.
Really Two Separate Guilds
The WGA actually consists of two separate unions: WGA West and WGA East. The unions have separate membership rosters and separate administrative personnel.
Membership in either guild is determined by the location of the writer’s primary residence. Writers who live west of the Mississippi River join WGAw, and writers who live east of that divide join WGAe. However, the two guilds negotiate together to establish minimum basic pay agreements and terms of employment with signatory companies.
Who Can Join WGA
Each guild has its own membership eligibility requirements. However, the bottom line is that a writer must have earned his or her way into the union by having sold or optioned one or more scripts to or been offered employment by a WGA signatory.
The Writers Guild West, operating out of Los Angeles, maintains two levels of membership. Writers can apply for a Current, or full, membership, which requires a minimum of 24 work or sales/option “units” within a three year period. Or they can apply for an Associate membership if they have sold or optioned one script to or obtained employment by a signatory company. WGAw requires a $2,500 initial membership fee, and yearly minimum fees plus a percentage of qualified earnings. Specifics can be found on the WGAw website.
The Writers Guild East, operating out of New York City has slightly different membership eligibility requirements. According to Kelly O'Brien, WGAe’s Membership Administrator, a writer must have an offer of employment by a television or screen producer who is a guild signatory. Or the company interested in the writer’s work must agree to become signatory. Writers who have entered into this type of agreement, can contact WGAe and will be mailed an application for membership.
The WGAe’s initiation fee is a one-time payment of $1,500. Subsequently members are required to pay quarterly basic dues of $25.00 plus 1.5% of their guild-covered earnings.
Benefits To WGA Members
The Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA) is a collective bargaining agreement negotiated with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the networks. The MBA sets the minimum compensation guild members may receive for their work. The document also describes details of the pension plan and health insurance fund for members.
Further, the MBA addresses working conditions, residuals payments, use of literary material (e.g. dramatic rights, novelizations, merchandising), and how the provisions of the contract will be enforced. It lays out procedures for grievance and arbitration.
Another important benefit to WGA members is the arbitration of writing credits. The Guild negotiated and won the responsibility for determining writing credits so that they would be fair and consistent and out of the hands of producers or production companies.
The guilds also establish programs to increase job opportunities for minorities, women, the handicapped and writers over age 40.
Services for non-WGA Members
Both guilds offer script registration services for members and non-members for a nominal fee. The service can be accessed through either guild’s website.
The WGA is not an open association. It is an affiliation of two unions which negotiates and arbitrates on behalf of its membership.
