Council Election: Frequently Asked Questions
Last updated May 2024
What is the Council?
The WGAE Council is the governing body of the WGAE consisting of 20 Council members: twelve (12) Film/TV/Streaming Council members, five (5) Online Media Council members and three (3) Broadcast/Cable/Streaming News Council members), plus five (5) officers: President, Secretary-Treasurer and three (3) Vice-Presidents, one from each work sector.
What are the different work sectors?
Film/TV/Streaming members work in screen, television and new media; Online Media members work in digital news shops; Broadcast/Cable/Streaming News members work in traditional broadcast and cable news shops and newer streaming shops, all in positions under the Guild’s jurisdiction.
What does the Council do?
- establishment of Guild policy and organizing objectives
- management of funds and property of the Guild
- appointment of Guild Trustees to the Producer-Writers Guild of America Pension Plan
and the Writers Guild-Industry Health Fund - construction and interpretation of the provisions of the Guild’s Constitution and By-Laws the appointment of both standing and ad hoc committees
- hiring of Executive Director
How long is the term of office for Council members and officers?
2 years.
How often does the Council meet?
Monthly, usually on the first Thursday.
How long are the Council meetings?
Anywhere from one to three hours.
How many vacancies are there?
The 2024 WGAE election will include the following open positions: Broadcast/Cable/Streaming News Vice President, Online Media Vice President, six (6) Film/TV/Streaming Council seats, and three (3) Broadcast/Cable/Streaming News Council seats and two (2) Online Media Council seats.
Who is eligible to run for Council position?
Any member in good standing who has been a member of the work sector in which they are running for one year preceding the election (September 19, 2024).
How does one get nominated?
No later than June 3, an eblast/mailing to all current members will solicit nominations for Council members (and officers if applicable). Nomination forms will be available online. Members may nominate themselves and/or others for Council no later than June 21, 2024.
How does voting occur?
Members may vote online, by mail, or in-person on September 19, 2024.
How can I learn more about the campaign process and rules?
- A Nominees’ Reception will take place on the evening of June 25, 2024 at 6 pm, via Zoom, to familiarize potential candidates with the process of running for and serving on Council.
- All candidates must attend a mandatory meeting on either July 24, 2024 at 6 pm, via Zoom or July 25, 2024 at 12 pm, via Zoom, to review the election policy.
How does the Guild facilitate a candidate’s campaign?
- Each candidate’s statement will be posted on the Guild’s website as well as the online ballot. An eblast will be sent to the membership with a link to all candidates’ statements.
- Each candidate may send out three Guild-facilitated communications separate and apart from the Candidate Statement. These may be three eblasts or three postcards, or a combination of eBlasts and postcards. Beyond these three communications, each additional candidate message will incur a $100 administrative fee.
- A Meet the Candidates Town Hall event for all active, current WGAE members to familiarize themselves with the candidates will be held on August 26, 2024 at 6 pm via Zoom.
What Guild and/or Employee Resources are Prohibited for Campaigning?
The Department of Labor election rules prohibit the use of union or employer resources to campaign. It is also a violation of WGAE policy for any member to use any WGAE platform that does not reach every WGAE member in their work sector (including Slack, Google groups, and Facebook) to communicate about the election in any form, including get-out-the-vote messages, as well as to campaign for WGAE Council or on behalf of any candidate or against any candidate using those resources.
If you have any questions about this or any of the above information, please email elections@wgaeast.org.
What does the Election Committee do?
The Election Committee is responsible for overseeing the conduct of the nominations and elections. The Election Committee will address issues that arise during the election and determine any pre- or post-election protests.