Verve, which earlier this week became the first talent agency to respond to the #PayUpHollywood movement by pledging to boost pay of assistants and mailroom employees, has signed writer/activist Liz Alper, who is behind the initiative.
Alper, is a member of the WGA West board of directors and of the guild’s 2020 MBA Negotiating committee, co-founded #PayUpHollywood. She most recently served as writer-producer on ABC’s The Rookie. Her writing credits also include Hawaii Five-0 and Chicago Fire.
Like most TV writers, Alper started off as a writers assistant. Back in October, she started sharing her more than decade-long harrowing experience of an overworked, underpaid assistant in a series of tweets that got the #PayUpHollywood hashtag trending. The tweets ignited a campaign that has shed light on the plight of Hollywood assistants and is starting to bring change.
In addition to giving its assistants and mailroom employees a 25%-40% pay raise in response to #PayUpHollywood, Verve also is shorting working hours, effective January 1. Verve in May became the first mid-size lit agency to reach an agreement with the WGA and is franchised by the guild to represent writers.
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