On Monday, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) protested against its own union at the SAG-AFTRA headquarters, alleging that the WGA failed to negotiate in good faith regarding pay and job security.
The WGA started discussions with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) while Hollywood writers rallied outside, brandishing signs and demanding a “fair contract.”
Writers in Hollywood, who have been striking for four weeks, are accusing WGA leadership of not negotiating honestly, as reported by a source.
“What’s disgusting? Union-busting!” announced the Writers Guild Employees Union, showcasing a large inflatable character named Scabby the Rat outside their location.
See below:
AMPTP has been engaged in discussions with SAG-AFTRA for about a month, but the meeting ended without an agreement on Sunday night. They plan to reconvene in June.
In their negotiations with AMPTP, the WGA aims to tackle issues like a significant deficit in the health plan, better minimum wage standards for writers, and compensation for scripts utilized in training AI systems.
Meanwhile, the Writers Guild staff union has committed to daily protests wherever these discussions are held.
“It pains us to do this because we want our writers to receive the best contracts possible,” stated Dylan Holmes, a WGA attorney and co-chair of the staff union bargaining committee. “We aim to assist them and our management, rather than protest against them. But we must make our voices heard.”
Some protesters have been targeting WGA chief negotiator Ellen Stutzman, urging her to participate in negotiations after she missed last week’s meeting.
While avoiding mention of the ongoing strike, SAG-AFTRA expressed solidarity with the WGA during their contract talks with AMPTP, emphasizing that authors deserve contracts that acknowledge their important contributions to the industry.
