Resources and Initiatives

Guild Initiatives

Union-wide: the Committee for Inclusion and Equity

The mission of the Committee for Inclusion and Equity (CIE) is to ensure fair representation of traditionally underrepresented writers. Our goal is to seek out, develop and sustain increased opportunities for these writers, both within our union and in the industry at large.

Current Committee Membership

Sector-specific efforts

Film/Television/Streaming

The Late-Night/Comedy-Variety Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Pledge is a statement from supervisory writers in late-night and comedy-variety television who have committed to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in our industry – not only as a matter of social justice, but with the understanding that the continued vitality and relevance of our work is dependent on hiring, empowering, retaining, developing, and promoting diverse talent, and on ensuring that our work onscreen and off reflects the racial diversity of our country and audience. Read the Late-Night/Comedy-Variety Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Pledge and Endorsement.

Online Media

Employees at online media sites who have unionized with the Guild have done so for a number of reasons. But one issue that workers across each site seek to address is diversity. Crucially, union contracts address a broad range of issues, such as pay equity and parental leave policies, as well as workplace “culture” issues (like equity & inclusion). Many unionized sites have active initiatives around diversity and have also used their contracts to establish workplace diversity committees.

Learn more about organizing around diversity in online media.

Broadcast/Cable/Streaming News

Broadcast/cable/streaming news news staff have been a part of the Writers Guild since the union’s inception in 1954. While the makeup of broadcast newsrooms is undoubtedly more diverse than it was almost 70 years ago, there is always room to grow. And union contracts have a crucial role in that growth.

The Guild’s broadcast/cable/streaming news contracts all include explicit diversity/nondiscrimination provisions of some kind, and many also establish workplace diversity committees. In addition to those terms, broadcast contracts address many other financial and workplace-related issues—such as parental leave, pay minimums, just cause & skills training—that play a part in building (and protecting) an inclusive and equitable workplace.

Read the Guild’s broadcast/cable/streaming news contracts.

Nonfiction

The Nonfiction organizing campaign is dedicated to empowering Women of Color—and BIPOC people across all gender identities—to improve their work lives. The Women of Color Caucus leads the charge for nonfiction organizing, fighting for pay equity, and improving representation.

The Caucus is committed to ensuring creators of color receive equal and appropriate compensation for their work. This includes fair wages and salaries, standard of living benefits such as PTO, and health/life insurance as a human right.

In pursuit of these goals, the Caucus also organizes workshops and trainings, provides resources and materials to support creatives and organizations in the industry, and supports industry leadership in organizing campaigns.

Learn more about the Nonfiction Women of Color Caucus.

Additional Resources and Information

In addition to the Guild’s programs and the provisions in Guild-negotiated contracts, we also encourage the use of these resources.

Think Tank for Inclusion and Equity (TTIE)

The Think Tank for Inclusion & Equity (TTIE – pronounced “tie”) is a consortium of working TV writers spanning staff writer to showrunner. We know firsthand the challenges faced by underrepresented TV writers (Women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Disabled People) because TTIE is comprised of members from these communities.

Further, as the only intersectional social change organization that advocates within the entertainment industry for a diverse cross-section of underrepresented communities, TTIE is uniquely situated to empower underrepresented writers and transform the industry into one in which all writers and all stories can thrive.

Learn more about TTIE

WGA West Industry Inclusion Reports

Commissioned by the Writers Guild of America West, the WGAW 2020 Inclusion Report and the Hollywood Writers Reports & TV Staffing Briefs provide an update on the progress of women, minority, and older writers on the employment and earnings fronts.

Industry Writing Programs, Conferences, and Festivals

As is true in many industries, the barrier to entry for writers who belong to underrepresented communities often seems insurmountable. A list of industry writing programs and festivals, managed by the Writers Guild of America West, provides a directory of industry programs, conferences, and festivals focused on inclusion and equity.

The list is meant to be used for informational purposes only; a program’s inclusion does not, in and of itself, indicate endorsement by the Writers Guild of America, East or West.