WGA vows to continue the strike, regardless of the DGA, SAG-AFTRA negotiations

WGA isn’t giving up its crusade for a fair wage and job security any time soon. As its fellow unions, the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), enter their own negotiations this month, the WGA sent a letter to members assuring them they will not allow AMPTP to “divide and conquer,” again.

The renewed commitment to the strike, which has been going on for a month now, comes as DGA and SAG-AFTRA contracts expire on June 30. The DGA has already entered talks with AMPTP, and SAG-AFTRA goes to the table on June 7. Regardless of how those talks go, the WGA is ready to keep going—even if its sibling unions get a new contract.

In the letter, the WGA argues that in the 2007-08 strike, AMPTP pitted the unions against each other, cutting a deal with the DGA “far ahead of its contract expiration, which included some (but not all) of the goals writers sought.” This set the stage for contract renegotiations for the next few years, a strategy the letter refers to as “divide and conquer.” The Negotiating Committee explains the strategy as “Hold off a deal with the DGA until after the WGA contract expiration date so that in the event of a writers’ strike, the AMPTP could force a DGA pattern on the WGA.”

While solidarity between unions has been, thus far, more robust than in 2007, “AMPTP remains committed to its strategy.” As such, AMPTP “pretended” to deny negotiations with the WGA in May, so it could enact its strategy when DGA talks began. The letter states that the tactic will not shake the WGA’s resolve. The strike will continue regardless, hopefully with broad support from the other unions. AMPTP put itself in this position, and the only way it’ll get out is by paying people what they’re owed.

Read the full letter below:

DEAR MEMBERS,

The AMPTP playbook has been to divide and conquer…labor.

The AMPTP was formed in the 1980s when the industry’s major employers decided they were tired of the decades of gains made by unions when engaging in their own divide and conquer strategy – choosing an employer (or employer group) to get a good deal that the rest of the industry studios had to follow.

The AMPTP strategy of corporate unity has been wildly successful for the companies. Labor costs have been contained in an industry where workers have tremendous power while the companies reaped billions on billions in profit, year after year. During the last 35 years, there have been only two strikes – 2007/08 and now.

While the employers were united, labor has been less so. Until recently.

During the last WGA strike, SAG was supportive but relations with some of the other unions were strained. While writers were out on picket lines, the DGA negotiated its own deal far ahead of its contract expiration, which included some (but not all) of the goals writers sought.

In the intervening contract cycles, union solidarity in Hollywood was limited. The DGA negotiated first, far ahead of their deadline, and the implicit message from the AMPTP was that the WGA or other unions would have to strike to get a better deal than the pattern already set.

This bargaining cycle, the industry began beating the strike drum far in advance of the WGA’s formulation of bargaining demands, let alone the start of actual negotiations. The AMPTP set a strategy in motion designed to be a repeat of 2007/08. Divide and conquer. Hold off a deal with the DGA until after the WGA contract expiration date so that in the event of a writers’ strike the AMPTP could force a DGA pattern on the WGA. Even better if they could also sew up a deal with SAG-AFTRA. They would then claim that the writers were being unreasonable.

That strategy, however, depends on divided unions. This year is different. Every union in town came out in support of the WGA, both during negotiations and after the start of the strike. The DGA has been clear that it is facing a tough and critical negotiation to address its members’ needs. Yesterday, we joined a statement along with SAG-AFTRA, IATSE and Teamsters 399 in solidarity with the DGA in their negotiations. SAG-AFTRA is taking a strike authorization vote as they enter negotiations to address the existential issues its members are facing. Teamsters, IATSE, and other entertainment union members have been honoring WGA picket lines across the country.

Still, the AMPTP remains committed to its strategy.

They pretended they couldn’t negotiate with the WGA in May because of negotiations with the DGA. That’s a lie. It’s a choice they made in hope of breathing life into the divide and conquer strategy. The essence of the strategy is to make deals with some unions and tell the rest that’s all there is. It’s gaslighting, and it only works if unions are divided.

Our position is clear: to resolve the strike, the companies will have to negotiate with the WGA on our full agenda.

The AMPTP should have made a fair deal with writers by May 1st. But they didn’t, as they are seemingly intent on continuing their efforts to destroy the profession of writing. For the last month, writers have followed in the footsteps of many generations before who went on strike to secure their collective future in this business. We will continue to march until the companies negotiate fairly with us. We do it now with the support of our sister guilds and unions, and we will support them whenever it’s their turn. The era of divide and conquer is over.

IN SOLIDARITY,
WGA NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE

[via IndieWire]