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. The meeting between WGA chief negotiator Ellen Stutzman, and AMPTP director Carol Lombardini on Friday (August 4) went ahead without any news of a return to formal negotiations. A representative of the Alliance said that it would not comment on the outcome of the meetings, and the Guild didn’t respond to a comment request.
Los Angles mayor Karen Bass issued a statement regarding the ongoing strikes. The statement stated that “this important inflection for our city’s signature sector has caused ripple effects across our economy, as well as the state and country.” Bass continued, “The economic conditions in the entertainment industry are changing. We must adapt and evolve to this new challenge.” “It’s critical that this is resolved immediately so that Los Angeles can get back on track, and I stand prepared to personally engage all stakeholders in any way to help this happen.”
At a SAG-AFTRA protest that took place in the same area of the city as WGA-AMPTP, Duncan Crabtree Ireland, national executive director for the actors union sent a social media video message.
In the video, Crabtree Ireland said: “While we’re supposed to be in the street, it shows how strongly our members feel in order to get a fair contract.” “We’re getting everyone out of the middle street now.” This shows how strongly our members feel about this issue and how we will do whatever it takes to achieve a fair, equitably and respectful contract.
