The Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike enters its fourth week with no end in sight. Strikers will participate in a multi-union rally in downtown LA, where they will be joined by members of SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, and the Teamsters, among others. The rally will represent over 200,000 workers in Los Angeles whose contracts are set to expire. SAG-AFTRA is nearing the end of its contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, and last week its leaders called for a strike authorization vote as labor negotiations approach. The WGA has manned picket lines outside all the major LA-area studios since May 2.
Quoting Fox LA, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike has entered its fourth week with no end in sight. However, the strikers are planning to switch up their picketing schedule and participate in a multi-union rally in downtown Los Angeles.
The rally, which is expected to be attended by numerous unions, including SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, and the Teamsters, will take place near the Convention Center, where the state Democratic Party is holding its annual meetings. The organizers have said that the rally-goers represent more than 200,000 workers in Los Angeles whose contracts are set to expire.
The WGA has been picketing outside all the major L.A.-area studios since May 2, but there has been zero progress in resolving the dispute. The studios are engaged in contract talks with the Directors Guild of America, and SAG-AFTRA is nearing the end of its contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the Hollywood studios. Last week, SAG-AFTRA leaders called for a strike authorization vote as labor negotiations approach.
The WGA tweeted on Thursday that there is no official rule preventing the studios from making a fair deal with writers while in negotiations with another union. “It’s the studios’ choice to let the strike continue,” the WGA said.
In an email sent to its members on Monday, the WGA acknowledged how difficult it is for writers to be on strike and not get paid. “I know it’s hard to be out there emotionally and physically,” WGA Negotiating Committee Member Danielle Sanchez-Witzel wrote in the email. “But we must stay out there in big numbers. Because this is negotiating — being in the streets, being on the picket lines, being visible, being loud, and making our presence felt.”
The strike has disrupted the production of numerous TV shows and movies, with some networks and studios resorting to airing reruns or delaying the release of new episodes. The WGA is demanding higher wages and better working conditions for its members, who are responsible for writing the scripts for TV shows and movies.
As the strike continues, it remains to be seen whether the studios will make a fair deal with the writers or let the strike continue. The multi-union rally on Friday is expected to be a show of solidarity among workers in Los Angeles whose contracts are set to expire, and it could put more pressure on the studios to negotiate with the unions.
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