Agreement Reached Between Writers Guild and Three PBS Stations for a New Contract at 3 PBS Stations

Writers Guild of America Reaches Tentative Agreement with PBS Member Stations

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has reached a tentative agreement with PBS member stations WGBH Boston, WNET New York, and PBS SoCal. This agreement, which was reached just hours before the current contract expired, is now set to be put to a ratification vote.

The ratification vote will be conducted by the 94-member bargaining unit and will be a significant step in finalizing the agreement between the WGA and the PBS member stations. The outcome of the ratification vote will determine whether the agreement becomes official.

The agreement offers several benefits to the WGA members. It includes industry-standard raises, paid parental leave, and increased residual payments for reuse on streaming services. Moreover, it provides easier paths for members of writing teams to access health coverage.

The deal also includes first-ever union protections for animation writers and expanded union protections for made-for-new-media programs. To address the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the industry, the agreement also includes AI protections.

The specific details of the agreement have not yet been released, but they will be made available to the members before they vote on ratification. Once the details are disclosed, the ratification vote will take place.

If the agreement is ratified, it will mark a new three-year contract for the WGA at PBS member stations WGBH Boston, WNET New York, and PBS SoCal. The authors of the negotiation results for this new contract are representatives from the Writers Guild of America and management representatives from the respective PBS stations involved.

The ratification vote will be a crucial decision for the WGA members. It will determine whether they accept or reject the agreement, which could have significant implications for the working conditions and compensation of writers at PBS member stations.