WGA West Staff Union Ratifies First Contract After 82-Day Strike

The WGA West Staff Union has ratified its first collective bargaining agreement with the WGA West, ending an 82-day work stoppage. The inaugural contract was ratified by 89 percent of its members. Deadline reported the two sides reached a tentative deal ahead of the weekend prior to ratification.

The contract includes just cause protections with a progressive discipline process, seniority provisions in layoff procedure and the establishment of a labor-management committee. It also includes a no-strike clause that both parties agree protects concerted activity. The WGSU secured over $500,000 in wage increases for its 116 members, said bargaining committee co-chair Missy Brown.

All WGSU members will receive a minimum 4 percent salary increase retroactive to January 1, 2026, an additional 4 percent increase in August 2026 and a third 4 percent increase in August 2027. WGSU members will see salaries increase by a minimum of 12 percent by August of next year. Alfie Ebojo, a WGSU member and WGA West residuals processor, said the ratification marked a significant milestone.

“This was a long time coming. I am glad I’m here to see it happen, and I couldn’t be prouder to stand alongside my union siblings,” he said. Negotiations between the parties began in September following the staff’s organization with the Pacific Northwest Staff Union last spring.

A strike was called in February. The staff union spent nearly three months on the picket line. The WGSU and WGA West have largely been at an impasse since the inception of the strike. WGA West management made a “last, best and final” offer on April 8.

WGA West management refused for several weeks to negotiate further with the staff union after the April 8 offer. The staff union initially planned a rally on the picket line outside guild HQ last Friday to demonstrate support among writers. The union did not relent despite the impasse that continued even after the WGA West concluded its own contract talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Deadline reported the ratification caps a process that began when staff organized last spring. The new agreement represents the first time the WGA West staff have operated under a formal collective bargaining agreement.