Member Eligibility

Who can join the Writers Guild?

While there is no single way to be eligible for Writers Guild membership, the general fundamental requirement for joining the Writers Guild is that you are hired to write by an employer who is a signatory to a Guild contract.

Writers can determine whether their employer is a Guild signatory by contacting our Signatories Administrator.

If your employer is a signatory to a Guild contract, and your field of work falls within that contract’s jurisdiction, then you are eligible to become a member of the Writers Guild. Here’s what to expect next:

When you begin work for a signatory company, the company should inform you that you need to become a Guild member. The company should also provide the WGAE Membership Department with a Notice of Hire. After the WGAE receives this notice, we will send you a membership application.

If the company is a signatory, but you have not been informed that you are working under the Guild contract, please call the Signatories Department at 212-767-7837.

If you are working for a signatory company that is claiming that your job description is not covered by the Guild contract, contact the Organizing Department at (212) 767-7808.

If you are currently ineligible for Writers Guild membership because you are not employed by a signatory company, you can get involved with the Guild in other ways.

Join the Guild

You are eligible for Guild membership if:

• you have been hired by a company who is a Guild signatory, and
• your work falls under the jurisdiction of a Film/TV/Streaming, Broadcast/Cable/Streaming News, or Online Media contract.

Beck Notice

A Beck Notice is provided to all employees working under collective bargaining agreements between the Guild and Guild signatory companies. Please click below for additional information and procedures concerning implementation of your legal rights regarding “Financial Core Status” (“FCS”) non-membership fee.

Notice to Writers Guild of America East, Inc. Fee Payers [pdf]

Other pathways to membership: Caucuses and Organizing

If you are ineligible to join the Writers Guild because you are not employed by a signatory company, but your field of work falls within one of the Guild’s jurisdictional areas, there are still ways in which the Guild may be able to support you and your work through the Guild’s Caucuses and Organizing work.

As is the case with the two types of Guild Contracts, whether Caucuses or Organizing is the most appropriate avenue for a given writer depends on their field of work:

As a general rule, those who work in fields that fall under the jurisdiction of a Film/TV/Streaming contract or the Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA) should pursue engagement with the relevant Guild Caucus, whereas those whose work would fall under the jurisdiction of a Broadcast/Cable/Streaming News or Online Media contract or collective bargaining agreement should contact the Organizing department.

Joining a Guild Caucus and Organizing your workplace are both excellent ways for prospective members to engage with their member and non-member peers, learn more about the protections and services provided by the Guild, and forge a pathway toward Writers Guild membership. We encourage you to explore involvement through these routes.

The Writers Guild is committed to promoting and protecting both the professional and artistic interests of all storytellers, regardless of their current membership eligibility.