Gavin Newsom says he is “very concerned” about the WGA strike and says his office will step in “if called from any side”.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said he was “very concerned” about the WGA strike and warned that “every one of us will be affected”.

Speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference on Tuesday, Newsom raised the possibility that his agency could eventually join negotiations.

“We are no strangers to labor issues and if both parties involve us, we will intervene where both parties want and are interested,” he said.

The governor said the strike “has direct and indirect far-reaching consequences. We will all be affected by this and we are very concerned about what is going on because both sides have dug in. There is a lot at stake.”

Newsom said he was “sensitive to the writers’ concerns about this, very much regarding what streaming is doing, what the next conversation with AI is doing in this space. It’s a very real and existential moment and I hope we can’t have it any longer if the 100 days of the last strike are extended, but not longer than a few weeks.”

Newsom watched the negotiations through the weekend. “I am very concerned about this because these negotiations ended much faster, much sooner than we expected.”

Talks broke down hours before WKV’s framework agreement with the studios expired on Monday night.

Newsom participated in a question-and-answer session with MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle, who noted that the Milken Institute put the 2007-2008 strike at a $2 billion loss to the state’s economic activity.

Earlier Tuesday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called on both sides to break the deadlock. “Los Angeles relies on a strong entertainment industry that is the envy of the world, while Angelenos work good middle-class jobs. I encourage all parties to come to an agreement that protects our signature industry and the families that support it,” she said.

Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) also got involved in the strike.

In a statement, he said that “every worker deserves to make a good living, including members of the Writers Guild who play such an important role in our nation’s entertainment industry. I urge both sides to quickly reach a fair agreement that improves wages and takes into account a changing economy and evolving technologies.” He also warned that failure to reach an agreement would have “serious consequences for our state and our economy”.

Earlier Tuesday, Representatives Adam Schiff and Katie Porter, Democrats seeking to succeed Dianne Feinstein in the US Senate, issued statements supporting the writers during the hiatus.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who criticizes high CEO salaries, wrote on Twitter: “Last year 8 Hollywood execs made nearly $800 million, but TV writers’ salaries rose 23 percent over the last 10 year… I support the nearly 12,000 WGA West writers who are striking for a fair deal.”