Rosy Cordeo

EXCLUSIVE: A solidarity help fund that the Writers Guild and several other of its outstanding members established to assist non-members throughout the guild’s ongoing strike has now grown to over $2.2 million and has already helped greater than 400 business members. The needs-based fund is run by the , previously often called the Actors Fund.

The fund, which acknowledges that writers aren’t the one leisure business professionals impacted by the strike, was began May 10 with $1.7 million in donations from the guild and WGA members J.J. Abrams, Greg Berlanti, Adam McKay, Ryan Murphy, Shonda Rhimes, Mike Schur and John Wells.

“The Fund has received more than $2.2 million in donations in support of film and television professionals,” Joe Benincasa, president and CEO of the Entertainment Community Fund, advised Deadline. “And, we’ve helped more than 400 people with emergency financial assistance and have directed them to our additional programs and services to help with areas of need including health and wellness, career and life, housing and more.”

The WGA West, in the meantime, has a separate $20 million strike fund to assist its personal members throughout the walkout. The WGA East gives strike loans to its members, as effectively.

The WGA strike, which is now in its twenty fifth day, started May 2 after negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed to succeed in a suitable deal. The guild’s core points embody important will increase in compensation, minimal staffing, period of employment, the institution of viewer-based streaming residuals and curbs on the usage of synthetic intelligence to create scripts.