Staffers at nonfiction production company Vox Entertainment, which produces documentary series Explained for Netflix and Consider It for Facebook Watch, among others, have ratified their first collective bargaining agreement with the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE).
Claire Gordon, who helms Explained, called the three-year contract precedent-setting for nonfiction video, including recognition for showrunners on par with those in scripted shows. The agreement also includes consulting showrunners on staffing and scheduling.
Vox writers-producers will also be able to move to another shop without a break in their health insurance via the Entertainment Industry Flex Plan, according to WGAE.
The contract also includes establishing thresholds for work weeks--so workers can a "sustainable" work schedule; minimum compensation for all positions, with a 3% pay boost after the first and second years; language protecting "journalistic integrity; and paid time off and bereavement leave.
“Nonfiction programs are being produced for multiple platforms, from traditional linear television to streaming services and digital properties," said WGAE executive director Lowell Peterson. "The WGAE contract with Vox Entertainment covers a range of writer-producers, including showrunners, and it includes many important provisions that should become standard across the industry, like contributions to an Industry-wide health care plan, extra pay for extra work, regular pay increases, and important workplace protections.”
