Staff at the Writers Guild of America West have gone on strike and picketed outside the union's Los Angeles headquarters, accusing management of unfair labour practices and bad-faith bargaining.
The walkout is separate from the 2023 writers’ strike and is not expected to shut down Hollywood productions in the same way, as it involves employees of the union rather than the union’s writer members.
Dylan Holmes, the guild’s in-house counsel, said staff are responsible for enforcing writers’ rights under collective bargaining agreements, and claimed that management had not "uphold[ed] labour values" in its dealings with the staff union.
Andrew Aroche, a Writers Guild co-ordinator in the equity and inclusion department, told Reuters that staff were striking without a contract and alleged that management had "drag[ged] their feet" in negotiations and acted "in bad faith".
The Writers Guild Staff Union, which represents more than 100 employees across departments including legal, communications and residuals, was formed last year and began first-contract talks in September. The union has said its concerns include pay, workplace protections and the use of artificial intelligence.
At Wednesday’s picket, the staff union displayed an inflatable "Scabby the Rat", a symbol commonly used in US labour protests.
In a statement, a WGA spokesperson said the guild had made "comprehensive proposals" including "numerous union protections" and improvements to compensation and working conditions, and said it was looking for a resolution to a first contract.
While Wednesday’s protest was described as a staff-only action, writers are expected to join future pickets in solidarity, Reuters reported.
The dispute comes as the guild prepares for upcoming talks with Hollywood studios and streamers on the next writers’ contract cycle, following the industry-wide disruption caused by the 2023 strike.
Source: Reuters
