(UPDATED with WGA statement): Action around the US actors and writers strikes heated up on Friday (August 4) as the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) had their first meeting since the stoppages began and the mayor of Los Angeles offered to “personally engage” to help resolve the labour strife.
At the same time, picketers from actors union SAG-AFTRA staged one of their most visible rallies yet, reportedly shutting down a busy boulevard outside the Universal Studios complex and theme park in the North Hollywood region of Los Angeles.
Friday’s meeting between WGA chief negotiator Ellen Stutzman and AMPTP head Carol Lombardini went ahead but produced no news of a formal return to the negotiating table. A representative said the Alliance would not be commenting on the outcome of the meeting. The Guild, however, sent a message to members saying that while the Alliance “are leaking to the press we need to let you know what was said in the meeting.”
According to the Guild message its representatives were told by the Alliance that it was ”willing to increase their offer on a few writer-specific TV minimums - and willing to talk about AI - but that they were not willing to engage on the preservation of the writers’ room, or success-based residuals.”
Also discussed, said the Guild, was “a potential negotiation protocol and a preview of the issues each side intends to bring back to the table upon resumption. As of now, there is no agreement on these items, because the AMPTP said they needed to consult with their member studios before moving forward.”
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass, meanwhile, issued a statement about the ongoing strikes. “This important inflection point for our city’s signature industry has caused ripple effects throughout our economy as well as that of the state and the country,” the statement said.
“The economic conditions of the entertainment industry are changing — and we must react and evolve to this challenge,” Bass continued. “It is critical that this gets resolved immediately so that Los Angeles gets back on track and I stand ready to personally engage with all the stakeholders in any way possible to help get this done.”
At the SAG-AFTRA rally, which occurred in the same part of the city as the WGA-AMPTP meeting, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, national executive director of the actors union, sent a video message to social media.
“While we’re not supposed to be out here in the street, this is how strongly our members feel about getting a fair contract,” said Crabtree-Ireland in the video. “We’re going to get everybody out of the middle of the street now. But just know this just tells you how strong our members feel, how important this issue is and that we are going to do what it takes to get a fair, equitable and respectful contract.”
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