The Writer Guild of America said Wednesday that “we stand in solidarity with SAG-AFTRA as they bargain for a contract that truly works for all their members.” It’s the first comment the WGA has made on the SAG-AFTRA talks since the actors’ union last week extended its contract until July 12 to allow negotiations for a new film and TV contract to continue.
“We will not comment on those negotiations while they are still in progress,” the WGA negotiating committee said in its message to members today. “But we will be back to you, at the appropriate time, to discuss where we are and where we go from there.”
“Our eyes, though, are not on a date but a deal – on a goal,” said the WGA, whose strike is now in its 65th day. “And that goal has not changed since May 1st – and will not change, no matter how long the companies take. It is to fix a broken system, to rescue creativity from the tech companies and the conglomerates, and to make the profession of writing viable for us and those who come after us.
“We all understand that the companies’ continuing refusal to recognize and remedy the legitimate concerns of labor keeps us out on the picket lines, keeps the industry at a stand-still, and keeps thousands out of work.
“And so, we will continue to walk in front of every studio – and remind them that, whatever path they take, at the end of that path is the Writers Guild. And there is no way around us. See you all on the picket lines.”
On June 5, SAG-AFTRA members voted 98% in favor of authorizing a strike if contract talks fail to reach an acceptable deal. Prior to the authorization vote, the guild laid out some of its key bargaining issues, which include “economic fairness, residuals, regulating the use of artificial intelligence and alleviating the burdens of the industry-wide shift to self-taping.”
The extension reached Friday comes against the backdrop of an unprecedented grassroots campaign by guild members to urge the guild to stand strong at the bargaining table and to “join the WGA on the picket lines” if a major “realignment in our industry” can’t be achieved. Last week, more than 1,700 actors, including many prominent SAG-AFTRA members, signed off on a letter to guild leaders saying they “would rather go on strike” and “join the WGA on the picket lines” than compromise on key issues.
On June 24, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, who also signed the “prepared to strike letter,” and national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland posted a video in which they told members that the guild’s contract negotiations have been “extremely productive” and they “remain optimistic” that a fair deal can be reached.
Five days later, Drescher told Good Morning America that the contract talks were making headway “in some areas” and “in some areas we’re not.”