Hello, WGA Members East and West:
As WGAE Vice President for Film/TV/Streaming, I’m honored to say to you: holy shirtballs, you are some mother-forking superstars! Here we are, two weeks into this strike, and the whole world knows of our struggle. My deli guy asked about it, and here in Jersey that means something. Everyone knows the WGA is striking, and why: because the studios refuse to pay us what we’re worth.
More importantly, it seems the whole world is on our side. As a WGAW member told The Hollywood Reporter, “What is clear is that the AMPTP has utterly lost the PR war on this one. Or rather, the WGA has won.” Members’ individual stories of our broken system—of getting by on ten weeks of work a year, of residual checks amounting to pennies—are resonating with the public. They understand we are losing out on the middle-class American Dream. We are not the elite. We are just like them. We are them.
Here are just a few highlights of this past week:
- Our sister entertainment unions turned out in droves to support our cause. Here in New York, over 1,200 people turned a midtown picket in front of HBO and Amazon headquarters into an impromptu rally. They included leaders and members of SAG-AFTRA, Actors Equity, Teamsters, one brave Amazon worker, and one shouty Mandy Patinkin. We are bowled over by the union solidarity and so very, very thankful. IATSE international and local leaders were bi-coastal this week, picketing in both NYC and Los Angeles.
- Speaking of our sister unions, their members continue to honor our picket lines in L.A., New York, and elsewhere. Picketing continues to disrupt industry events and production. Based on prior estimates, the strike could be costing about $30 million a day in lost studio output. A DAY.
- The WGA received public support from President Joe Biden; New York Governor Kathy Hochul; Senators Kristin Gilibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown; Representatives Ro Khanna, Katie Porter and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The studios heard from New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, boss of New York’s massive state pension fund and thereby a very important and unhappy shareholder.
- On May 13, in solidarity with the WGA, the Los Angeles Democratic Party moved their long-planned annual fundraising event from a soundstage at Universal Studios to the Loews Hollywood hotel.
- We aren’t letting the studio CEOs escape our dispute. PEN America, an organization that champions writers, had planned to present Netflix’s Ted Sarandos with its Business Visionary Award at its gala. After discussions between PEN and WGAE officers, Sarandos withdrew from the event. Boston University still plans to honor David Zaslav as its commencement speaker, so we’ll be there too to remind him to do his job and get back to the negotiating table.
- Upfronts are happening this week and we will remind everyone involved that TV schedules cannot proceed without writers. Netflix has already canceled their first in-person upfront, which will now be virtual. We’ll be out in force picketing in New York this week; come join us if you’re in these parts. Be ready because East goes hard.
- There will be another member Zoom meeting this Thursday, May 18, 11 a.m. PDT/2 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. GMT for those who were unable to attend the May 3 meetings. Invitations will go out soon.
Stay strong. Stay united. Stay hydrated. Solidarity forever.
Lisa Takeuchi Cullen
WGAE Vice President for Film/TV/Streaming