The Producers Guild of America on Sunday used the platform of its annual awards ceremony to launch an effort to secure health insurance coverage for producers working in Hollywood. The guild is calling on studios, streamers and other large content companies to help fund health insurance for “eligible producers” through line items in TV and film production budgets.
PGA Presidents Stephanie Alleyne and Donald DeLine announced the health care initiative during an address to the audience at Hollywood & Highland’s Ray Dolby Ballroom. The push aims to bridge the gap between producers and Hollywood’s other creative guilds by giving those who meet the PGA’s criteria easier access to health insurance.
“Producers, unlike the industry’s unionized creative professionals, do not have guaranteed health insurance benefits. They should not live without these important benefits. “It’s a rewarding enough job without the added anxiety of how to obtain health insurance for yourself and your family,” Alleyne and De Line said.
PGA said prominent production companies such as Blumhouse, Berlanti Productions, Legendary and MACRO have vowed to advocate for health insurance for producers within their budgets. The union calls on producer organizations to contribute to industry-wide health insurance programs on behalf of PGA-certified producers or provide direct payments as budget items to enable eligible producers to obtain private insurance. ing.
“Producers are the only group of creative professionals without a union on set, so we have to look out for each other,” Blumhouse Founder and CEO said Jason Blum. “Taking care of what’s ours is good for business, good for families and good for the industry, and I’m proud to be part of the group leading this effort.”
At a time when Hollywood’s traditional giants are under extreme financial pressure, there is no doubt that it is difficult to add more costs to production budgets that have already skyrocketed in recent years. The PGA proposes that an additional cost of $3.33 per hour be factored into the production budget for producers who need to take out private insurance.
The PGA initiative will provide key organizations with additional health insurance fund contributions to cover the activities of what it calls “eligible producers who are working full-time on eligible projects and have credits recognized by the PGA.”2 It offers two options. According to the PGA, insurance is available to studios “through the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Insurance Plan for eligible producers of eligible productions,” as well as plans for members of the WGA, DGA, SAG-AFTRA, and IATSE. will be covered by contributions from employees. or “for all other producers who do not have access to benefits through existing industrial programs or union contracts, including direct payment items in production budgets for producers to purchase their own health insurance.”
Unlike other guilds, the PGA is not a collective bargaining body and does not negotiate contracts with major Hollywood studios. This is because most field film and television producers function as managers with hiring and firing authority.
“The Producers Guild Healthcare Initiative is an opportunity for our industry to support producers and pave the way for future generations,” said Alleyne and Deline. “We applaud Blumhouse, Legendary, Macro and Berlanti Productions for taking this groundbreaking first step, and encourage all production companies across the industry to join this important movement.”
The PGA’s focus on creating health insurance solutions for its members stemmed from the work of member Harvey Wilson. The Guild’s immediate past presidents, Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher, also championed health insurance as a Guild philosophy during their terms from 2018 to 2022.
(Photo: PGA President Stephanie Alleyne and Donald De Line)
