The Writers Guild of America, East and political news organization Talking Points Memo have reached a deal on a new three-year contract.
The contract, which was ratified by the TPM six-member bargaining unit, will increase the minimum salary from $52,000 to $65,000 in January 2025, according to a memo from WGA East released Tuesday, with employees receiving a set salary percentage increase depending on their current wages.
In addition to the wage increases, the contract lays out new comp time language, improved health and safety standards, commitments to diversity and non-discrimination protections alongside additions to vacation days, professional development, staffers’ cell phone stipend and parental leave, which was extended from 10 weeks to 16 weeks.
Talking Points Memo will extend severance minimums from six weeks to eight weeks, with the added stipulation of two additional weeks per year once a staffer reaches four years at the company, alongside an increased severance cap from 12 weeks to 18 weeks.
“We’re thrilled to have won the fight for a contract that protects and improves working standards at TPM,” the TPM bargaining unit said in a statement. “After eight months of bargaining, we have won key concessions from management that include industry-standard salary floors, a comp time policy that meets the needs of our unit, and annual increases that ensure members’ pay will keep pace with inflation. This contract would not have been possible without the solidarity and teamwork of the entire TPM unit. We’re proud of this contract, our unit, and WGAE, which helped to secure the provisions in this contract that all of our members deserve.”
Per the contract, staffers with salaries below $75,000 will receive a 3.5% salary increase in each year of the contract while employees making up to $100,000 will receive 3.25% annual salary increases and staffers with a salary over $100,000 will receive 3% annual salary increases.
“The Guild’s new collective bargaining agreement with Talking Points Memo raises the bar for Online Media workers, setting standards that keep up with cost-of-living expenses and the state of the industry,” WGA East executive director Lowell Peterson said. “It is rewarding, especially for Guild members working at Talking Points Memo, to see a company live up to the values it espouses online.”