Staff at the Writers Guild of America West voted to authorize the strike, weeks before the union was scheduled to hold talks with major movie studios.
Union workers, who organized last spring, have been demanding better wages and job protections in the first contract. Negotiations with WGA West management have been ongoing on and off since September, with the last round of negotiations held on January 17th.
During a break in negotiations, the Writers Guild staff union picketed outside the WGA West headquarters, demanding “just cause” employee discipline and “fair dealings.”
Employees, led by the Pacific Northwest Employees Union, then voted to authorize a strike over unfair labor practices, with 82 of the 100 employees voting in favor. The alleged misconduct includes “behind-the-scenes negotiations,” unilateral changes to the status quo, “unlawful surveillance,” and retaliation.
“If management does not negotiate in good faith with us at the table, we will see them on the picket line,” the union said in an Instagram post Thursday. “#It’s finally here.”
No deadline was given.
WGSU filed an unfair labor practice complaint against WGA West in August, alleging that organizing committee members were wrongfully fired. WGA West denied the allegations at the time.
According to a WGSU fact sheet, staff is pursuing a variety of proposals, including:
Just cause and grievance procedures that promote mutual accountability and fairness Robust protections from artificial intelligence in the workplace Work-from-home provisions that codify and improve current practices Sustainable workloads that promote quality of service delivery for writers Extreme weather and climate change impact language Professional development resources that foster growth opportunities Increases that lead to a living wage that reflects the value our work provides A strong union pay structure that rewards the longevity and dedication of WGAW members
The employee union also said 64% of its members earn less than $84,850, Los Angeles County’s “low income” threshold for a single-person household.
WGA West denied the allegations of labor law violations in a statement.
“WGAW has been negotiating in good faith with the employee union since September and has made a comprehensive proposal that includes numerous union protections and compensation and benefit improvements,” a union spokesperson said. “Public claims suggesting otherwise are inaccurate and the unfair labor practice allegations are without merit. WGAW respects the right of its employees to participate in collective activities and hopes to reach an initial contract agreement with the employee union in the near future.”
WGA West also released a four-page side-by-side comparison of the proposal and counterproposal Thursday evening. Management is offering a minimum annual salary of $55,000, while the employee union is seeking a minimum annual salary of $59,737, according to the document.
Staff unions also want guarantees that generative AI will not be used in the workplace. Management confirmed that they had no intention of using AI, and offered to provide paid training to staff if they did. But management is concerned that employee suggestions could prevent the company from using new technology to evaluate employees’ work.
WGA West staff played a key role in the 2023 WGA strike, supporting thousands of TV and film writers who spent months picketing major studios in Los Angeles.
The WGA is scheduled to return to the negotiating table with the Motion Picture and Television Producers Alliance on March 16, with weeks of negotiations expected ahead of the contract expiring on May 1.
In a message to its members, WGA West said it hoped its staff would not go on strike at such a critical juncture, but that AMPTP’s negotiating efforts would continue.
“Executive and administrative staff who work directly with the WGA Bargaining Committee are not part of the PNWSU Bargaining Unit,” the union said. “Other administrative staff perform core functions of the guild to reduce the impact of disruption to membership.”
Employee unions include lawyers, research analysts, estate agents, software engineers, and many other professions.
Union leadership said it supports employees’ right to collective action.
“At the same time, we are focused on the difficult period of negotiations ahead, including securing the funding needed for the health and pension funds that writers fought to establish and maintain, and for guild employees to benefit from,” the union said.
