After trying to call WGA West leadership back to the bargaining table last weekend to seemingly no avail, the guild’s staff union is now taking a different approach. The WGSU delivered a new, “strike-ending” proposal to executive director Ellen Stutzman on Thursday as the staff’s work stoppage nears the end of its sixth week.
“This bargaining cycle has been marked by a long, drawn-out process of management attempting to bargain away from, and actively resisting, both this membership’s priorities and the basic union standards found in most collective bargaining agreements,” the letter addressed to Stutzman reads.
The WGSU accused leadership of having “chosen a war path with its own employees” that has led the strike to collide with the writers’ negotiations with the Hollywood studios. The staff has moved its picket to the SAG-AFTRA building, where the WGA East and West are jointly bargaining with the AMPTP, since talks began.
“Enough is enough. The time to enter a fair deal with your staff and reunite is now,” the letter continued. “Attached to this letter you will find a significantly revised contract proposal, in management’s desired ordering and formatting, that is intended to bring this strike to a close.”
The WGSU made it clear that there is still room for discussion on this latest proposal, but if WGAW management isn’t willing to come to an agreement soon, the staff is proposing arbitration within the next 60 days.
The WGA West did not immediately respond to Deadline’s request for comment. This post will be updated if/when a spokesperson gets back to us.
The WGA West staff union is represented by the Pacific Northwest Staff Union. It includes about 115 of the guild’s 160 employees and encompasses residuals & dues processors, IT & data management workers, organizers, communications specialists, legal personnel, researchers, Writers Guild Theater employees, contract enforcement staff, and more.
The union has been attempting to negotiate its first contract since September. Staff went on strike in mid-February. In addition to refusals to bargain, the WGSU has also accused the western union’s leadership of unfair labor practices.
The WGAW has denied any wrongdoing. In response to the staff’s strike, leadership also has released an updated side-by-side comparison of both parties’ proposals and counter-proposals, though this was prior to the latest proposal from the staff.
Prior to this week, the staff had been dutifully marching outside WGAW headquarters on the busy intersection of 3rd St. & Fairfax Ave. in Los Angeles for a full month. At times, they were joined by writers guild members who marched in solidarity and expressed frustration with their union for letting the tensions escalate to this degree.
The fallout also included the cancellation of the WGA Awards west coast ceremony. Would-be host Atsuko Okatsuka instead headlined a comedy benefit show for the striking staff the same night. WGA leadership was also roasted on stage by Seth Rogen at the Actor Awards.