WGA Conducting Survey To Gauge Member Experiences During 11-Week Standoff With Talent Agents

The WGA is conducting a survey of its members to learn about their experiences during the guild’s 11-week standoff with Hollywood’s talent agencies.

“This survey is designed to find out how you and other members are doing since the Code of Conduct was implemented on April 13th, and what you are thinking about the campaign,” the guild told its members in an email, providing a link to the survey. “We’d like to hear about your positive and negative experiences, as well as your concerns, ideas and opinions. Your individual responses will be kept confidential.”

The guild has required its members to fire their agents who refuse to sign its Agency Code of Conduct, which bans packaging fees and requires agencies to sever their ties to corporately related production entities. To date, none of the major agencies has signed the code, and more than 7,000 writers have fired their agents.

Here are the 15 questions asked in the survey:

1. Before the implementation of the Agency Code of Conduct on April 13, 2019, were you represented by an agency for writing services?

2. Are you currently represented by a franchised agency signed to the WGA Code of Conduct?

3. Are you currently represented by a manager?

4. Are you currently represented by an entertainment attorney?

5. In what field do you primarily work?
TV/streaming episodic series
TV/streaming comedy-variety
Feature films (theatrical and streaming)
MOWs
Other (please specify)

6. Which, if any, of the following Guild tools have you used in the past two months? Check all that apply.
Find A Writer
Weekly Feature Memo
Staffing Submission System
Weekly TV Development Memo
Screenwriter Resource List
Start Button
None

7. Have you helped any other writer(s) during the agency campaign by mentoring them, recommending them for meetings, reading their scripts, boosting them on social media, organizing mixers, etc.?
Yes
No
Not applicable

8. Have you been helped by other members during the agency campaign, i.e. participated in member-organized mixers, social media networking campaigns, grassroots grids, been mentored or recommended by another member, etc?
Yes
No
Not applicable

9. Have you attended a Guild-organized mixer, meet-up, panel, or seminar during the agency campaign?
Yes
No
Not applicable

10. Have you been actively seeking new Guild-covered writing opportunities since April 12th, 2019?
Yes
No

11. Please let us know if you have ideas about how Guild members and staff could better support you or other writers during this campaign.

12. Is there anything else you’d like to tell Guild leadership about the agency campaign, or your experience during this time?

13. If you recounted your experience(s) in any of the comment sections above, would you be willing to allow the Guild to use your anecdote as an illustration of members’ experiences during the campaign? Any details that might identify a particular company or individual would be edited out prior to publishing.
Yes
No
Not applicable
Maybe (please explain)

14. Do you identify as:
Female
Male
Non-binary
Transgender
Prefer not to answer
Other (please specify)

15. What race or ethnicity do you identify as? Please check all that apply.
African American or Black
American Indian and Indigenous
Asian/Pacific Islander
Latinx
Middle Eastern
White or Caucasian
Other
Prefer not to answer

“Thank you for taking the survey,” the guild’s negotiating committee said. “Please spread the word and encourage other members you know to participate as well.”