WGAW Executive Director David Young goes on vacation due to illness; Ellen Stutzman serves as lead negotiator at AMPTP

There is a major shift in the WGA negotiating team ahead of talks with the studios on a new contract starting March 20. David Young, the executive director of WGAW, who has led several bargaining campaigns on behalf of the writers, will be placed on medical leave today, the guild’s leadership said in an email to members this afternoon.

“WGAW Deputy Executive Secretary, Ellen Stutzman, will serve as lead negotiator for the 2023 MBA negotiations,” the letter reads. “Ellen has earned the confidence and full support of the WGAW Board of Directors, the WGAE Council and the WGA Negotiating Committee. She will lead a team with decades of experience in negotiating and applying the MBA, as well as organizing and mobilizing members to support guilds’ contracting campaigns.”

No additional information was given about Young’s condition or the expected day of his return, but Guild officials wished him a full recovery on behalf of all members. It is unclear whether Young will be involved in negotiations with AMPTP once he recovers, a start date remains set for March 20.

“We are truly sorry to hear of David Young’s medical issues and wish him a speedy and prosperous recovery,” an AMPTP spokesperson told Deadline.

Here is the full letter, which highlights Stutzman’s extensive background:

We would like to inform you that David Young, Executive Director of WGAW, has been placed on medical leave today.

WGAW Deputy Executive Director Ellen Stutzman will therefore serve as negotiator for the MBA negotiations in 2023. Ellen has been with WGAW for 17 years, initially from researcher to director of research and public policy. Since 2018, she has held her current position as Deputy Executive Director, leading the Agency, Contracts, Legal and Research and Public Policy departments. As a member of the Executive Board, Ellen played an important strategic role in the last three MBA negotiations and the agency franchise agreement negotiations. She is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and holds an MBA from UCLA.

Ellen has earned the confidence and full support of the WGAW Board of Directors, the WGAE Council and the WGA Negotiating Committee. She will lead a team with decades of experience negotiating and enforcing the MBA, as well as organizing and mobilizing members to support guilds’ contracting campaigns.

We know we speak for all WGAW and WGAE members as we wish David a full recovery.

Negotiations with the AMPTP begin on March 20. Until then, hear more from us.

SOLIDARITY,

Meredith Stiehm, Michele Mulroney and Betsy Thomas, WGAW officers
Michael Winship, Lisa Takeuchi Cullen and Christopher Kyle, WGAE officers
David A. Goodman and Chris Keyser, Co-Chairs of the WGA Negotiating Committee