No DVD Residuals for Writers Guild

Posted on November 24, 2004

Members of the Writers Guild of America have approved a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. The WGA has long wanted writers to be paid residuals on DVDs, but the industry has refused to give in on this issue. Biding their time for now, the members dropped the DVD residual issue and instead took a generous health benefits plan instead. In total dollars, the new agreement is the richest WGA contract ever and 40% better than the deal reached in 2001, union officials said. The terms took effect retroactively Nov. 1. Not everyone is happy with the deal.

Reutuers reports that two dissenting board members -- John Auerbach and Stephen Schiff of WGA East and Robert King and David Weiss of WGA West -- have formed a new group called WGA Writers United to promote more activism on the subject of DVD residuals and other issues. WGAE president Herb Sargent said Tuesday that the new contract protected the health plan but "fell short of our goals." "We will continue to seek gains in DVD residuals, jurisdiction and emerging technologies -- areas in which we failed to achieve improvements will remain at the forefront of our concerns," he said.