WGA Begins Studio Talks as Its Staff Pickets Outside
The Writers Guild of America initiated discussions with major studios on Monday, amidst the backdrop of striking staff members picketing outside. The negotiations took place at SAG-AFTRA headquarters on Wilshire Boulevard, where the Writers Guild Staff Union marched from WGA West headquarters to set up a picket line. They brought along Scabby the Rat, a large inflatable mascot, and positioned it outside the building.
The WGSU has been on strike for four weeks, citing the WGA management’s lack of good faith bargaining. Chants of “Union busting!” echoed from the demonstrators as they expressed their discontent. The LAPD was called by building security to monitor the picket, ensuring it remained on the public sidewalk.
Dylan Holmes, a WGA attorney and co-chair of the staff union bargaining committee, expressed disappointment at the necessity of picketing, emphasizing the union’s desire for the best possible contract for writers. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers had been engaged in talks with SAG-AFTRA at the latter’s headquarters for the past month, with negotiations set to resume in June after reaching an impasse.
SAG-AFTRA agreed to host the WGA-AMPTP negotiations, prompting the WGSU to commit to picketing daily during the negotiations. The WGA is seeking to address a significant deficit in its health plan, improve minimum wage terms for writers, and secure payment for scripts used to train AI systems.
Despite making an improved offer to its staff, the WGA notified members that an agreement had not yet been reached. Negotiators from both parties managed to enter the SAG-AFTRA building for talks, while the WGSU maintained picket lines at parking garage entrances, hoping for the participation of chief negotiator Ellen Stutzman.
The WGSU urged Stutzman to join the negotiations personally, citing her absence from a previous meeting. The focus of the WGA has shifted towards the AMPTP, raising doubts about the swift resolution of the staff strike. WGA West organizer Leila Luperchio expressed a willingness to negotiate late into the night to reach a resolution and end the picketing, emphasizing the union’s reluctance to engage in such actions.
