Writers Guild overwhelmingly ratifies new 3-year contract

LOS ANGELES – Members of the Writers Guild of America have overwhelmingly approved a new three-year contract with television and film producers.

The guild announced Wednesday that the new agreement passed by a 99 per cent margin, with only 30 members voting no out of nearly 3,650 ballots cast. The agreement will remain in place until May 2020.

The ratification comes three weeks after a tentative deal was reached with producers, averting a costly strike that would have caused several popular television series to go dark.

The guild has said it won gains across the board, including contributions to the union’s health plan and better pay for series with fewer episodes. A memo about the new contract stated members will net $130 million more over the contract’s life than earlier proposals from producers.