Michael Buckner/Variety
After more than four months of strike, many series makers are feeling anxious.
Writers Guild of America leaders are fielding a growing volume of inquiries from senior members who are frustrated by the length of the work stoppage and are looking to understand the guild’s strategy in dealing with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. In response to this increased activity, multiple sources say several union leaders are scheduled to meet in person with a group of exhibitors on Friday at WGA West headquarters.
A WGA West communications representative declined to comment, but Chris Keyser, co-chair of the WGA negotiating committee, said: diverse “We have conversations with members every day,” via text message. “I do not comment on individuals.”
The message different groups of exhibitors are trying to send to union leaders is clear: “It’s not ‘We’re after you’ but ‘How can we help you?’” one participating exhibitor put it.
There has been a concerted effort to keep this activity quiet, but it all escalated late last week and Monday. A group run in part by showrunners Kenya Barris and Noah Hawley sought to arrange a private meeting with Goodman and Kaiser at a secret location for about 20 to 30 writers.
According to multiple sources with direct knowledge, the group sought to schedule a September 8 meeting, which was then rescheduled for September 11. Ultimately, the September 11 meeting was canceled — and there are conflicting views on who would convene. I canceled it.
The emerging groups of experienced presenters and writers were formed in large part around private WhatsApp and Facebook groups that came alive during the strike. The prevailing feeling is not that these writers will be cut off from their public support of the union and its mission, but that there is grave concern about the growing number of lost income, for writers and countless other workers affected by the closure of television and film production. The WGA backed down on May 2, and the stakes increased on July 14 after SAG-AFTRA called its first industry-wide strike in more than 20 years.
Exhibitors who run multiple shows like Barris and Hawley are frustrated as they spread stories of hardship from crew members, support staff, outside vendors and others who depend on the production of their shows. The post-Labor Day period is typically a busy time of year for the film and television industry, with fall TV premieres, fall film festivals, and the Primetime Emmy Awards, now postponed to January.
In addition to Barris and Hawley, other models involved in discussions about approaching WGA leadership include Tyler Perry, Sam Esmail, Lena Waithe, and Dan Fogelman. Sources said Shonda Rhimes was also in the mix for some of the discussion groups, but made it clear she didn’t want to participate in the meeting. Stranger Things showrunners Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer were asked to participate in a meeting but declined.
Representatives for Paris and Hawley declined to comment for this story.
According to multiple accounts with first-hand knowledge, an initial meeting was scheduled for September 8 at the San Vicente Bungalows, where about two dozen of the multi-hyphenates hoped to meet Goodman and Keizer. There is disagreement over whether WGA leaders confirmed this meeting. Sources familiar with the situation said WGA leaders refused to include two directors, David Fincher and Ridley Scott.
The group’s second attempt was scheduled at a meeting with Goodman and Keyser on September 11 in a private area of Soho House West Hollywood. In the case of both pop-up meetings, organizers were careful to choose locations where attendees would be able to come in and out without attracting too much attention. The goal of the bidders is not to publicly pressure the WGA, but to express their sense of urgency about the deal. “People want to understand the process, they want to know what the plan is to get everyone back to work,” one veteran member said.
Once again, there are differing views on who canceled the September 11 meeting. On the evening of September 11, after A A report appeared in the cover about the meeting, there were multiple social media posts by WGA members in which Goodman and Keyser informed WGA strike leaders, who were meeting with the couple at the time the story broke, that it was Barris and Hawley who chose to cancel out of fear that it would send the wrong message to outsiders. But sources with direct knowledge of the situation strongly dispute that Paris and Hawley chose to cancel the September 11 meeting.
The WGA has maintained a strong wall of support among its 11,000 members on both coasts, generating impressive levels of solidarity and turnout at public events since the strike began. Even the most frustrated WGA members are sensitive to public criticism of the union for fear of being seen as willing to undermine their union and fellow writers. Social media megaphones have amplified the debate, and the pile-up of criticism has been quick for those who have questioned the agenda and tactics of the WGA contracts.
Furthermore, the WGA has also been known to receive more behind-the-scenes inquiries about “what’s going on” from IATSE and the Hollywood Teamsters, whose members have been severely affected by the work stoppage. Both federations face difficult contract negotiations next year. The longer the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike lasts, the harder it will be for the IATSE and Teamsters to ask their members to again sacrifice another strike if they also deadlock with the AMPTP. However, IATSE and the Teamsters have been vocal and vocal supporters of work stoppages at the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, and that is not expected to change, given the business climate.
For some writers, there is a desire to hear directly from leaders about the status of negotiations and the union’s plan to reach their conclusion. Some are disturbed by the sporadic pace of negotiations between the WGA and AMPTP, which last met in formal session on August 18. Over the past three weeks, the union and management have publicly stated that the onus is on the other side to restart. Negotiations with a new offer or response to an existing offer. Exhibitors contacting the guild maintain that they do not want the WGA to endorse the latest AMPTP bid that was put on the table on August 18. But there is a feeling that union leaders need to take refuge in management representatives to do what is required of them. It takes finding a way to get the contract to the finish line. The WGA and AMPTP last met on August 22, when Goodman, Keyser and Ellen Stutzman of WGA West met with Disney CEO Bob Iger Netflix, co-CEO Ted Sarandos, and Warner Bros. CEO Ted Sarandos. Discovery David Zaslav, and NBCUniversal Chief Content Officer Donna Langley.
“The ‘keep walking’ message doesn’t do the trick when all we’re doing is walking in 90-degree heat,” said one veteran WGA member, citing a video message from Keyser sent to union members on Labor Day.
Clarification: A previous version of this story incorrectly described the involvement of Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer in exhibitor outreach.
Gene Maddos contributed to this story.
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