The union representing workers employed by the Writers Guild of America have reached an agreement on their first contract, ending a strike that lasted nearly three months.<\/p>\n
The pending contract includes seniority and layoff protections, higher wages and outlines provisions for progressive discipline and a stepped grievance process, the Writers Guild Staff Union said in a statement Friday.<\/p>\n
The union represents 116 members, who work in areas including legal, communications and residuals. They will vote on proposed contract in the coming days.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce ratified, the WGSU strike will end and Writers Guild staff will return to doing what we do best: defending the writers\u2019 hard-fought gains and helping them build collective power,\u201d the WGSU Bargaining Committee said in a statement.<\/p>\n
WGA also said in a statement that they \u201care pleased to have reached a tentative agreement\u201d with the union for its first collective bargaining agreement.<\/p>\n
If ratified, members would see a minimum of 12% increases in pay for all Writers Guild staff over the course of the three year term. The salary floor would rise from $43,000 to $57,000. The staff would also see better protections against AI. <\/p>\n
The strike began in February<\/a>, weeks before the WGA was set to enter negotiations with the major studios, with the workers accusing their employer of bargaining in bad faith.<\/p>\n Over the last several months, tensions have been high between the two unions. In March, WGA had to cancel its Los Angeles-based award show,<\/a> as it could \u201cnot ask our members or guests to cross a picket line.\u201d The staffers also lost access to their healthcare in April,<\/a> as they were no longer eligible. <\/p>\n