EXCLUSIVE: While the Writers Guild of America will continue to negotiate with the studios until their current contact expires on May 1, strike preparations are underway — but Hollywood may not be seeing strikes anytime soon.
In fact, the WGA will probably not have its first strikes on the streets until Tuesday afternoon, sources say. In addition, the guild leadership is planning a large gathering in the Shrine Auditorium on May 3 with a capacity of over 6,000 to explain to the members why they agree or disagree with the AMPTP.
Given the tense atmosphere currently gripping the city, the explanation for the later than expected start time of the WGA protest is actually more bureaucratic than dramatic.
Like any large organization, the WGA has procedures. and part of the process in the event of a strike is that the WKV West Council and WKV East Council must formally authorize the strike action when it comes to it. This approval and subsequent activation may take several hours, hence the May 14 start time.
The Scribes are technically in a strike position at 00:01 on 2 May if an agreement is not reached with the AMPTP on a new three-year agreement. With nearly 98% approval for strike authorization earlier this month and signatures already printed, the WGA leadership is ready to push the workers’ action button whenever they want.
A weekend of “deeply involved” talks, as one insider put it, ended today. The WGA negotiating committee, led by Ellen Stutzman, and studio representatives led by Carol Lombardini, who plan to resume tomorrow, expect to negotiate late Monday night as the contract expiration date approaches.
That’s because the WKV sent out a poll to members on Sunday in which they were asked where they would vote in the event of a strike.
“While the WGA Negotiating Committee continues to negotiate with the AMPTP to reach a fair settlement tomorrow, May 1St By signing the contract, we must be prepared for a possible strike,” the guild said in a note to the member survey poll today about where and when to pick stripes. The greatest influence we can collectively exert on a strike is the withdrawal of our workers. Placing is an important tactic to show that we all stand together and that business as usual is not business as usual until a strike is resolved.”
“A strike is a dynamic situation,” the guild said in the email to members, which included a link to the survey. “Therefore posters and shifts are subject to change. When we strike, WGA captains will be trained to lead the protests and WGA staff will be on the ground to support the actions.” In this regard, the multiple-choice poll asks questions of WGA members such as: Can picket lines in the Los Angeles area in the event of a strike?”
Hampered by low residuals, a lack of streaming data information, job insecurity and more, writers are generally making less money, despite an explosion of content in recent years with more shows and more platforms. The low income of most writers is not really contested by either side, although they currently have very different approaches to solving the problem.
Long before streamers like Netflix, Prime Video and AppleTV+ were the dominant players they are today, the last WGA strike in 2007-2008 lasted 100 days, with consequences the industry is still grappling with in 2023.
If a strike begins on May 2, night shows will be shut down immediately, as will writers’ rooms and any big or small screen projects still refining or polishing scripts. In addition, other guilds and unions such as the DGA, IATSE and the Teamsters may refuse to cross sanctioned strikes. A response in this era of renewed union solidarity that can sweep a major in and out of the street.
David Robb contributed to this report.
Source: Deadline
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
