Seven weeks into their strike, unionized employees on the Writers Guild of America West will lose their well being advantages Wednesday.
WGA West workers could also be lined by the Producer-Writers Guild of America (PWGA) well being plan, the identical plan that’s provided to Hollywood union members. Workers accrue protection on a month-to-month foundation so long as they work 31 hours per week within the earlier month.
Unionized workers of the Writers Guild Workers Union (WGSU), on strike since February 17, say they realized Tuesday that they might lose their eligibility beginning Wednesday.
Missy Brown, co-president of WGSU, stated in an interview that union members did not be taught of the lack of protection till Tuesday afternoon, and that was solely after they discovered a PWGA well being plan staffer who wished to speak to her. “I feel it’s actually loopy that we don’t find out about it,” she stated.
Brown stated she left repeated voicemails for a number of employees members on the PWGA well being plan workplaces over the previous few days to find out the way forward for protection for hanging members. She finally “begged a receptionist to seek out me a human being” within the workplaces and the employees member she was coping with then knowledgeable her that she and different hanging guild members would lose their protection on April 1.
WGA West confirmed the lack of protection on Tuesday. “Hanging workers can elect continued COBRA protection in the event that they want to be lined by the PWGA well being fund in April. WGAW can not contribute on behalf of workers who didn’t work in March and don’t have any revenue,” the union stated in an announcement.
Along with the alleged lack of communication surrounding their lack of protection, WGSU members lament that their employer didn’t try to rectify the scenario. In an Instagram publish, the union stated that “in the course of the 2023 Writers’ Strike, WGAW and AMPTP negotiated to develop well being protection for writers all through the strike.”
There was no such extension for the hanging WGSU members, though they’re in a special place than the writers in 2023 — the PWGA well being plan is run collectively by studio and union executives and the employees negotiates solely with the union facet. WGA West negotiated the growth of its well being protection as a part of its strike settlement settlement, fairly than in the course of a strike.
Brown says, “I am certain there was one thing that might have been discovered to protect our well being care.”
The newest dispute marks an escalation of already excessive tensions between WGSU and WGA West. For weeks, the employees union has been picketing the constructing the place WGA West negotiators are engaged in high-stakes negotiations with studios and streamers. A video revealed by Selection on March 27, demonstrators chanted “disgrace!” as members and leaders of the WGA West Negotiating Committee entered the constructing for negotiations.
In the meantime, WGA West and WGSU stay at odds over key components of the union’s first contract. The 2 sides are deadlocked on points such because the position of seniority in layoffs and union pay scales.