WGAE Negotiates New Three-Year Agreement with Lion TV

NEW YORK, NY (December 13, 2016) – The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) is pleased to report it has negotiated a new three-year agreement with Lion TV, the nonfiction production company behind CASH CAB for Discovery, HISTORY DETECTIVES for PBS and DEAD ON ARRIVAL for Investigation Discovery.

The new agreement includes significant increases in minimum pay rates, a shorter wait to become eligible for health benefits and a provision to clarify the start of paid time on field production days.

Importantly, this agreement also provides that Associate Producers and other nonexempt employees will receive time and a half pay for all time worked after 40 hours in a week.  The company agreed to continue to pay 90% of the premium for health benefits, regardless of coverage level.

“Lion was one of the first nonfiction production companies to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with the WGAE and we are pleased to continue our productive relationship,” said Lowell Peterson, Executive Director of the Writers Guild of America, East. “The Guild extends a thank you to the current and former Lion employees for their hard work on the bargaining committee.”

The WGAE continues its industry-wide effort to improve conditions in nonfiction TV.  Nearly 900 nonfiction television writer-producers recently signed an industry-wide petition calling on nonfiction production companies to bargain fair minimum pay rates, safety and scheduling standards, paid time off and healthcare benefits.

In addition to Lion TV, the Guild represents writer-producers at Leftfield Entertainment, Original Media, Kirkstall Road Enterprises, Sharp Entertainment and Optomen Prods.

ABOUT WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA, EAST
The Writers Guild of America, East, AFL-CIO (WGAE) is a labor union representing writers in motion pictures, television, cable, digital media and broadcast news. The Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members; conducts programs, seminars and events on issues of interest to writers; and presents writers’ views to various bodies of government. For more information on the Writers Guild of America, East, visit wgaeast.org.

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