Writers Share Form Letters To Their Agencies As Mass Firing Of Agents Begins After WGA-ATA Talks Fail
April 12, 2019 6:02pm There is no respite for the two sides in the WG..
There is no respite for the two sides in the WGA–ATA dispute to absorb the news that their negotiations had broken down. As the writers guild informed its members that the talks were over, it enforced the new Code of Conduct, sending each member an personalized form letter they can use to fire their agency if it has not signed the new Code of Conduct.
The new Code of Conduct, approved by the WGA membership last month, includes the elimination of packaging and agencies affiliation with production entities, so all of the major agencies have said they will not sign.
The form letter was linked in WGAs missive to members this afternoon for each to sign electronically. The letter, the guild says, “in plain and respectful language accomplishes the task” of notifying the writers agency that they cannot represent him/her until they sign the new Code of Conduct. According to the WGA, the letter protects the writers legally “in case there is a further commission dispute.”
“The guild will forward all letters en masse to the appropriate agencies in a few days,” the guild email further said. “Many of you will also want to inform your agents in person. We encourage you to do so and ask them to sign the Code.”
Several writers immediately took to Twitter to share their letters with the #IStandWithTheWGA hashtag in support of their guild. We will update with more reactions from writers.
This is a night that will not be an easy one for many friends and fellow union members. #IStandWithTheWGA and hope you all will, too.
— Mark Gaberman (@MarkGaberman) April 13, 2019
As a lower-lever writer hoping to staff on a comedy this year and who absolutely adores my agent, Im nervous. But I believe in unions and collective action. This is not about my lovely agent, its about systemic practices by agencies. Read More – Source
