About the Franchise Agreement and Code of Conduct
The Franchise Agreement is a landmark agreement that realigns agency incentives with their writer-clients and eliminates the conflicts of interest inherent in agencies’ receipt of packaging fees and financial interest in production entities. Signatory agencies may only represent writers for a 10% commission. The right to negotiate packaging fees terminated on June 30, 2022. For more information regarding this, read the Franchised Agency FAQ. In addition, a franchised agency and its owners may not own more than a 20% stake in a production or distribution entity.
The Franchise Agreement also contains important provisions on how agencies must represent writers, provide timely information to the WGA to enforce the collective bargaining agreement and writers’ individual agreements, and promote non-discrimination and inclusion.
For more information, please review the linked information provided below.
If you have questions, please contact Rochelle Rubin, Signatories Manager – Contracts and Agency, via email at rrubin@wgaeast.org or by calling (212) 767-7837.
FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
Franchise Agreement (PDF)
The Franchise Agreement, including Rider W and the Rules Governing Arbitration, regulates the relationship among the WGA, the signatory agency, and WGA represented writers. There are various iterations of the Franchise Agreement; please contact the Agency Department if you have a question about the particular Franchise Agreement your agency has signed.
Rider W (PDF)
Rider W contains standard contract provisions that are deemed incorporated into all representation agreements, written or oral, between WGA represented writers and signatory agencies.
Rules Governing Arbitration (PDF)
The Rules Governing Arbitration provide an efficient mechanism for resolving any dispute arising under the Agency Code of Conduct or individual representation agreements.
