WGA Secures Health Care Benefits Extension for Writers Facing Coverage Cutoff
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) West has reached a tentative contract agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, ending the nearly five-month strike. As part of the agreement, the WGA West will extend health care benefits through the end of the year for members who were facing an October 1 expiration of coverage. The deal is expected to be ratified smoothly by the WGA negotiating committee, the board and council of the WGA West and WGA East, and the approximately 11,000 members. The strike order is still in effect but picketing has been paused, and writers are expected to return to work before the ratification vote is completed. This move by the WGA echoes a similar extension of health care benefits made by SAG-AFTRA, which has also been on strike.
