What is the WGC?
The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) represents more than 2,000 professional English-language screenwriters across Canada. These are the creators who write the distinctly Canadian entertainment we enjoy on our televisions, movie screens and digital platforms.
And the WGC is here to help. From administering the contracts of its members to advising and informing producers of the process of engaging a professional screenwriter, the WGC works to help make projects happen smoothly.
The prime occupation of the Guild is to negotiate, enforce, and administer collective agreements setting out the minimum terms and conditions of work in the Guild’s jurisdiction – independent English-language production in Canada. The central collective agreement, the Independent Production Agreement, is negotiated between the Guild and the associations representing independent producers – the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) and the Association des Producteurs de Films et de Télévision du Québec. Agreements have also been negotiated with the CBC, NFB, TVOntario, CTV, Global, and ACCESS (Alberta).
We also ensure writer’s engagement contracts comply with the collective agreements, pursue royalties and resolve disputes on behalf of the writer regarding working conditions, payments and writing credits.
As the voice of Canadian screenwriters, the Guild works to raise the profile of writers through a number of advancement and lobbying initiatives. The Guild actively promotes writers and their craft by publishing Canadian Screenwriter Magazine and an online Directory of Members, holding the annual WGC Screenwriting Awards, and organizing training seminars and networking opportunities. The Guild also undertakes extensive lobbying and policy projects, working closely with government agencies to promote and grow Canada’s indigenous film and television industry.
Serving You!
The WGC offers its Members…
Fair Pay & Benefits
The WGC helps ensure screenwriters are paid fairly for the work they do by negotiating, administering and enforcing collective agreements with independent producers and broadcasters.
These agreements set out the terms and conditions for work in all English-language production in Canada, including minimum fees and distribution royalties. The WGC also pursues payments and resolves disputes on writing credits on behalf of its members.
The WGC offers its members access – through the Actra Fraternal Benefit Society – to insurance and retirement benefits rarely obtainable by Canadian artists. Terms in our collective agreements also require producers and broadcasters to contribute to members’ insurance plans and RRSPs.
Advocacy
The WGC is a dedicated advocate for the profession of screenwriting in Canada. Through our appearances at the CRTC and in our work with government and industry partners, the WGC advocates for policies and programs that support opportunities for Canadian creators.
The WGC is the vocal champion of Canadian drama. We consult, lobby and present to ensure that Canadian writers have a place of primacy in the Canadian broadcasting system, and in film and digital media. Canadian audiences want to be able to choose Canadian programs, and only Canadian writers have the voice, vision and experience to tell Canadian stories.
Community
The WGC is a hub for professional screenwriters in Canada, bringing them together as a community to share ideas, address critical issues, and improve working conditions, and effect change in the profession. Screenwriters can join the WGC as soon as they sign a writing contract under one of our collective agreements.
The WGC works with other screenwriter organizations around the world and is a member of the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds (IAWG). The IAWG has established agreements making it easier to join sister guilds and work in other jurisdictions.
Profile
The WGC also maintains an Directory of Members, an easily accessible and popular resource for producers, broadcasters and more in search of screenwriters in all formats and genres.
The WGC promotes Canadian screenwriters by celebrating publicly our members’ creative achievements at the annual WGC Canadian Screenwriting Awards. The WGC also publishes Canadian Screenwriter magazine – a national retail magazine dedicated to profiling the screenwriting craft and the individual scriptwriters behind great Canadian projects.
Other Services
The WGC offers an online, by mail and in-person Intellectual Property Registration Service to members and non-members. This service helps establish the identity and date of completion of a full range of literary materials, including film, television and radio scripts, book manuscripts, and more.
The WGC also founded the Canadian Screenwriters Collection Society (CSCS) which collects and distributes foreign authors’ levies owed to screenwriters under the national copyright legislation of certain countries. WGC members can join at no additional cost. The CSCS currently has agreements with a number of countries, including France, Germany, Spain and Switzerland.
