WGA is holding two general meetings this week ahead of contract negotiations

The WGA is holding the latest of four scheduled membership meetings Thursday to discuss upcoming contract negotiations: one at the Sheraton Universal in Universal City, California and the other at the School of Visual Arts Theater in New York City.

Describing the two previous events held in Los Angeles earlier this month, the guild said “inspiration and unity are in the air.” The WGA’s current contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers expires on May 1, although no date has been set for the start of negotiations.

“The WGA has internalized the spirit of unity and solidarity throughout the guild and has drawn the curtain on its 2023 contracts campaign,” the guild said in a recent post on its WGA Contract 2023 website. “Over the past two weeks, more than 1,300 WGA members attended two briefings at the Writers Guild Theater and the Hollywood Palladium to hear from the Guild Negotiating Committee and provide their input on upcoming contract negotiations.”

The process began on February 4 when nearly 500 members – including more than 300 WGA captains – gathered at the Writers Guild Theater in Los Angeles to hear managers discuss some of the goals of the upcoming negotiations, meet with other captains and questions about it were raised throughout the process. Captains act as a link between a team of members and the guild; communicate with their teams about guild priorities; Address guild-related questions and concerns and mobilize members in support of the guild’s strategic goals.

Former WGA West President David A. Goodman, currently co-chairman of the WGA Bargaining Committee, told the captains who attended the first meeting: “Everything this union has achieved is due to the captains, because there were individuals who volunteer among their friends and colleagues in the union and management and staff. The individual commitment you all make to serve the union, to serve the other writers in the union, is inspiring. It is precious and you are indispensable.”

The guild noted that this year’s group of captains was “a mix of newcomers and veterans of previous campaigns” and that many of them commented during a pre-meeting in the theater lobby about the strong turnout and how happy they were going to be for the first .” Face to face with their colleagues for the past three years, with their main goal being to absorb as much information as possible so that they can be a source of information for members of their teams.”

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In its latest message, the guild also quoted several members who attended its meetings and emphasized the importance of serving as captain.

Sara Schaefer, a comedy/variety writer who was on the guild’s negotiating committee three years ago, said: “After the 2020 negotiations, there was a lot of talk. It was like, ‘Next time there’s going to be more strength to do some of the things we’ve had to do for years. So it builds up and I got emotional. When the guide started giving the presentation, tears came to my eyes. It was like ‘We’re here! It’s happening right now!’ It was just very inspiring.”

Aaron Harberts, a showrunner who participated in the WGA’s 100-day strike in 2007-2008, said: We who lived through 2007 to prepare this younger generation and these newer members for some of the things that are coming our way. present