Latest news with #WGAWest
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
TV and Film Writing Jobs Grew More Scarce, Even If Earnings Were Up Slightly in 2024
It came as no surprise to anyone when the Writers Guild of America West's 2023 annual financial report showed that television and film writers' earnings and employment had declined the same year that union members waged a 148-day strike against studios and streamers. But one year later, in a work stoppage-free environment, employment dipped further than their strike-era levels, even as earnings slightly rebounded. That's according to the union's 2024 annual financial report, released Friday to members and reviewed by The Hollywood Reporter. More from The Hollywood Reporter Writers Guild East Members Ratify First Union Contract at Story Syndicate (Exclusive) Michele Mulroney Running (Unopposed, for Now) to Lead Writers Guild West Writers Guild East Files Another Unfair Labor Practice Charge Against ITV (Exclusive) The document finds that in 2024 the total number of WGA West members reporting earnings fell 9.4 percent compared with the prior year and 24.3 percent from 2022. At $1.5 billion, members' total earnings rose 12.7 percent compared with 2023, but were still 21 percent below 2022's $1.9 billion. It's the latest sign of Hollywood companies reducing their output in a post-Peak TV, post-strikes world as a more cautious and risk-averse business culture has taken hold. 'We anticipate 2024's numbers to increase in subsequent reports, with late reporting to increase the number of writers employed to a level similar to 2023,' the union's annual report stated. 'Still, it is clear that the number of jobs has declined from peak years, caused by the companies' pullback in number of streaming projects on top of prior declines in linear programming.' The employment declines were steepest in television and digital platforms as well as in news, promotion, informational and interactive programming. Television and digital platform writer employment dropped nearly 11 percent between 2023 and 2024 and 28.5 percent from 2022. The WGA West represents thousands of writers in that category; on a smaller scale, news, promotion, informational and interactive programming writers dropped from 108 in 2022 to 94 in 2023 to 80 in 2024, a decline of nearly 26 percent. In television, writer earnings rose 12.3 percent in 2024 compared with the year prior, but dropped 25 percent when weighed against 2022. In its news and promotion category, earnings dropped 9.3 percent compared with 2023 and 1.1 percent from 2022. Writer employment fared better in theatrical films. The decline in 2024 compared with 2023 was only three percent but 16.2 percent in relation to 2022. The hit to earnings in film compared with two years prior wasn't as stark as in television, either: Earnings rose in 2024 by 14.2 percent in contrast to the year prior and was 9.5 percent lower than the 2022 total. Residuals were also down in 2024 compared with 2023, declining six percent. Still, an increase over a five-year period offered some space for optimism: The reuse payments were up 19.3 percent compared with 2019. The decline in television residuals was 12.4 percent compared with 2023, while in feature film it was 6.4 percent. The WGA West offered members an early peek at their data on television writer declines in April, when the union revealed that during the 2023-2024 season, writer jobs were down 42 percent. 'Writing careers have always been difficult to access and sustain, but the contraction has made it especially challenging,' the union said in an email. 'We are all subject to the decisions of the companies that control this industry, who have pulled back spending on content based on the demands of Wall Street.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Suspended Writers Guild West Member Reacts to Strike Discipline Vote: 'This Was Never, Ever a Clear-Cut Case'
On Friday, the results of a Writers Guild of America West vote over discipline for members accused of breaking strike rules signaled a divided union, at least on this issue. In the cases of three writers, disciplinary measures initially decided by the union's board were upheld, but by tight margins (between 52 and nearly 55 percent). A fourth writer's 'public censure' sentence over a Facebook post considered offensive was overturned in favor of an alternative action, months after the union publicly admonished the member, with 62 percent voting to throw out the punishment. More from The Hollywood Reporter Trump Finds His Class War Wedge Issue in Hollywood: Movie Tariffs What Donald Trump Is Really After With Movie Tariffs Teamsters Cheer Trump's Movie Tariffs, Rip Studios For "Fleeing" America Julie Bush, a union member for roughly 15 years since she got her card through Sons of Anarchy, was one of the members whose discipline was confirmed by the proceedings on Friday. On May 22, weeks after the 2023 writers' strike began, Bush sent a non-signatory company a revision of a pilot she had written. Writers are forbidden by the union's Working Rule 8 from working with non-signatory companies, but Bush says the company had promised it would eventually become a signatory and she was working with the union to make that happen. Once the work stoppage began, strike rules dictated that union members couldn't work for struck companies, which the company wasn't at that point. Bush has said she 'deeply regret[s]' sending the script, which created 'confusion and hurt regarding guild rules;' the union called it 'scab writing.' Eventually, a five-member trial committee and the union's board didn't find Bush guilty of breaking strike rules. Instead, Bush was disciplined for engaging in conduct 'prejudicial to the welfare of the guild' (an infringement of an article in the union's constitution) and of writing for a non-signatory company. She was sentenced by the board to a suspension until 2026 and was permanently forbidden for holding non-elected office in the union, a harsher punishment than the one that the trial committee initially recommended. Now, members have voted to ratify that temporary exile. In an interview, Bush discussed why she decided to file an appeal in the first place, her feelings about the close results and why she's planning on reporting recent proceedings to the Department of Labor and National Labor Relations Board. The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to the WGA West for comment. What is your initial reaction to today's results? I'm obviously disappointed. The guild [has been] my main community since I first got to L.A. with a dream, and I continue to love these people and the guild. I had received so many wonderful messages that I guess I sort of fooled myself into thinking that I would prevail. So I'm pretty upset right now, I'll be honest. And I'm surprised and upset and disappointed. But the way that the Guild has evolved in recent years, they've sort of become this kind of top-down, authoritarian structure where no dissent will be brooked. Everybody has to march one way. And so in a way, I shouldn't be surprised at all. I really do feel like that's what this is all about, and I feel like that's what drove this outcome. I'm wondering if you can respond to the vote tally that the Writers Guild provided, because in your case and others the results were close. In my case, the actual vote was 745 in favor of upholding and 686 in favor of restoring the trial committee's decision. That's the difference of just 59 votes. I have never in all my years in the guild — that's 10 years as a full, current, active member — seen a guild vote come in at less than 90 percent one direction. This is almost a literal 50-50 tie. So I just told Van Robichaux, who was the wonderful guild member who represented me through this entire ordeal for free, in an act of incredible solidarity, 'I hope that you are very proud of what you have done here.' Because this is a great act of David and Goliath here that he and I undertook. So I believe that this marks a turning point. I believe that guild members are ready for a change, and I think that that's what this vote is signaling. Why did you decided to appeal the ruling in your case — what thinking went into that? When they were first making noise about charging me, I couldn't believe it because I knew that it was questionable, very debatable whether I had broken any rules. I knew from the start that I had not broken any strike rules, and that was actually confirmed by the trial committee, and I knew that it was debatable and questionable whether I had even broken Working Rule 8. And so the fact that the SRCC [Strike Rules Compliance Committee] even indicted me to the board, that the board recommended me to the trial committee, at each step, I was surprised because I didn't think I had broken any rules and I honestly believe that each of those groups didn't understand the rules clearly. I think that this was a case of these groups being just so eager to find any scapegoat so that they could take somebody to the membership to be like, 'See, see, we got somebody.' This was just never, ever a clear-cut case of me doing anything wrong, ever. Can you explain the 'alternative action' that you proposed as your punishment and why you felt that was appropriate? What the board came up with in their new appeals process that they completely invented, which was not part of the [guild] constitution, they said to me, 'You need to propose your own alternative action that the members will vote on.' And so I said, okay, so I'm going to participate in this new imaginary, made-up process, under protest, because I was afraid that if I didn't participate that I would then waive my right to appeal. So I submitted the specific language of my alternative action. I was very careful with how I worded it because as writer, we understand that the wording of language, particularly in something this heated, is very important. In my memory, the way I worded it was something like, 'Restore the decision of the trial committee: A private letter of censure and three-year ban from serving as a captain.' That was the exact punishment that the trial committee handed down to me. The problem is that when I actually saw the ballot that the election department submitted to the membership to vote on, they stripped that important context from the language of my alternative action [that this was the original punishment proposed by the trial committee]. So then they just had it saying, 'Julie Bush's alternative action is private letter of censure and three-year ban on serving as captain.' And then I actually saw members debating it in the private WGA Facebook group, and they were actually saying, 'Why did she want to be a captain so badly if she doesn't even understand the rules?' And the entire point is that's not the punishment I made up for myself; that's the punishment the trial committee assigned for me. So the election department stripping away that language, it actually makes a big difference. Has your view on the guild changed since undergoing this process? Yes, definitely. I used to be one of those people that completely 100 percent backs the board, whatever the board says, I'm your soldier. And I just don't feel that way anymore. I've just really come to realize that they don't necessarily know what they're doing and that they don't even know the rules that well, and that while they purport to be experts in these matters, they're just not, and they don't even know the laws that well. What are your next steps following today's result? We're going directly to the Department of Labor and the NLRB. I'm going to send them everything I have and sort of let them determine exactly what to call what's happened here. Anything else you'd like to add? The message I just want to convey is I have wanted to be a writer my entire life; this is my identity. This experience has been absolutely devastating for me. Getting into the guild was one of the best things that happened to me my entire life, and I can't believe this has happened to me. It's been absolutely devastating, horrifying, crushing. It will take me years to get over this, if ever. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WGA Seeks to Discipline Four Writers for Breaking Guild Rules During 2023 Strike
The Writers Guild of America asked members on Friday to uphold disciplinary actions against four of their brethren who are accused of violating guild rules during the 2023 strike. Three of the writers — Edward John Drake, Roma Roth and Julie Bush — are accused of performing forbidden 'writing services' in violation of union solidarity. A fourth member, Tim Doyle, is accused of making an off-color joke in a Facebook group of fellow writers. More from Variety WGA West Ratifies Ellen Stutzman's Contract on 97% Vote, Elects Three New Board Members WGA West Unveils Candidates for Board of Directors Election in September Showrunner Tim Doyle Censured After WGA West Panel Finds Him Guilty of Posting Racist Image on Facebook The WGA West board voted to expel Drake and Roth, the severest form of punishment for guild rule violations. Bush was given a temporary suspension and a lifetime ban on serving as a strike captain, while Doyle was given a public censure. All four are appealing the discipline to the general membership. Three other members, who were not identified, were also found guilty by trial committees of writing during the strike. Those members elected not to appeal. A vote on the appeals will take place by online ballot from May 6-9. In written memos, each of the four writers asked the membership to overturn the board's decision. Several argued that they had been subjected to an unfair process, and had been tormented with the fear of public shaming and the ensuing consequences for their careers. 'The Board should not be able to intimidate, conduct unfair trials, dole out retaliatory discipline without due process, or disregard the recommendations of its committees and investigators,' Drake wrote. 'This has been a horrible ordeal, one I hope you never have to go through. I have been living under the guillotine of fear for months that I could wake up and the Board would have publicly announced my unfair expulsion.' Drake was the writer-director of an independent film, 'Guns Up,' which was in production in New Jersey during the strike. The WGAW board alleged that Drake engaged in 'scab writing' during production, and that he refused to turn over drafts of the script to guild investigators. Drake was also accused of refusing to identify a person who rewrote the ending of the film, and who was not a guild member. 'The trial committee explained to Drake the importance of identifying the strikebreaker, so the Guild could take action against an individual who undermined the strike,' the board wrote in its position statement. 'Drake still refused.' Drake argued that he was being punished for refusing to 'name names.' He also argued that he made 'adjustments' and 'tweaks' to the script in his capacity as the film's director, and that he did so in accordance with the Directors Guild of America guidelines. Such minor script revisions are the subject of a decades-long dispute between the WGA and the DGA. The WGA trial committee recommended an 18-month suspension, and offered to restore Drake's membership if he would identify the person who rewrote the ending. The board voted to increase the discipline to expulsion and to publicly identify Drake. According to Drake's appeal, the motion to expel was offered by Adam Conover, one of the most prominent strike leaders. 'If you believe Adam Conover and the Board should have to explain why they went against the recommendations of their own investigator, Head of the (Strike Rules Compliance Committee) and Trial Committee — the governing systems the WGAw has in place to ensure fair treatment of its members — then please vote to overturn their expulsion,' Drake wrote. In response, the WGA board argued that Drake had shown 'contempt' for the proceedings, and had stormed out of a hearing on several occasions. 'Every Guild member knows what it means when there's a strike: pencils down,' the board wrote. 'Edward Drake did not go pencils down during the strike.' Roth is a Canadian writer who was working as the showrunner on the series 'Sullivan's Crossing' in Nova Scotia when the strike began. According to the WGA board, two writers on the show informed the guild that Roth participated in a Zoom writers' room and engaged in other writing activity during the strike. 'The evidence established that, during the strike, Roth broke stories, revised outlines, rewrote scripts, and gave instructions, directions or suggestions to other writers regarding stories and teleplays,' the WGAW board wrote in its position statement. In her defense, Roth argued that she had ended her writing contract once the strike began, and continued on the show as a non-writing executive producer. She wrote that she was 'shocked' by the harsh discipline, and did not anticipate that the WGA would 'construe my producing work as 'performing writing services.'' Roth, who was also an executive producer on 'Virgin River,' is a dual member of the WGA and the Writers Guild of Canada. The show was produced under WGC jurisdiction, which required Roth to get a waiver from the WGA as the production company was not a signatory to the WGA contract. Once the strike began, the waiver was rescinded, precluding her from performing writing services for a non-signatory. She also stated that the two writers who testified against her were biased due to personal grievances. She also stated that the chair of the trial committee resigned after deciding the process was 'flawed and unfair.' 'I understand and respect the fact that you have all sacrificed a lot during the strike,' she wrote. 'Please know that I would never have knowingly caused harm to you or our Guild. Many producers and writers outside the U.S. continued to work during the strike, including both writers who testified against me.' Bush was also charged with violating the guild's prohibition against working for non-signatory companies. According to the documents, Bush was accused of turning in a revised draft of a pilot script for a show about Elon Musk and Tesla on May 22, three weeks into the strike. 'Scab writing cannot be tolerated,' the board wrote. 'It is anathema to the culture of solidarity among the membership that makes the Guild a fighting union.' Bush fought the charge. She argued that her lawyers had closed the deal for the show on the eve of the strike, and that she had exchanged numerous messages with WGA lawyers to make sure it was OK. She was found not to have broken the strike rule, because the company was not a signatory. She also said that the company had promised to become a signatory, but later reneged on their agreement and refused to pay her. The trial committee recommended a private letter of censure and a bar on serving as a strike captain for three years. The board upgraded the punishment to a suspension through May 2026, a lifetime ban on serving as a captain, and a public censure. In her appeal, she argued that she had not violated the rule against working for a non-signatory company, in part because she never got paid. She also argued that the only reason the WGA found out about the issue was because she had come to the guild for help. 'Yet, the very information I provided confidentially to get help against a manipulative company was ultimately turned around and weaponized by Guild staff to build the case against me,' she wrote. 'They are trying to make an example out of me. But I'm not an example. I'm a human being.' The WGA defended its decision to make Bush's decision public. 'The Board's decision is rooted in transparency,' the board wrote. 'The membership has a right to know when another member undermined that collective action, as Bush did. The membership also has a right to know the consequences for those who chose to write during the strike.' Doyle was publicly censured via a mass-email to the membership last July for a poor attempt at a joke on Facebook. In August 2023, a member in the WGA Writers Facebook group posted about a strike milestone: 'Happy 100th day, to all who observe…' 'I just got my tree up!' Doyle responded, with an image of silhouette of a man hanging from a tree branch. Doyle contended that the image was meant to reference his own suicide, and that it was 'gallows humor' about the anxiety that writers were feeling about the future of the industry. But some within the group took it as a racist depiction of a lynching. Doyle was accused of violating the WGA Constitution by engaging in 'conduct prejudicial to the welfare of the Guild.' A trial committee voted to give him a private censure, ruling that Doyle was remorseful and did not intend to post an image of a lynching. The committee also found that he had failed to fully account for the harm of his actions or offer a sincere apology. The board upgraded the discipline to a public censure, and pushed back on concerns that it was policing his speech on social media. 'The Board has the right to censure conduct it deems harmful to its members' interests, particularly where that conduct takes place publicly,' the board found. 'Such censure is itself a form of free speech.' In response, Doyle said that he continues to be 'mortified' by his action, and to reach out to apologize to those whom he offended. He also wrote that it was 'painful' to feel alienated from the writing community, and said that the censure speaks of a 'smallness' of attitude, a refusal to forgive, and a failure of empathy. 'These are obviously tough times for our union (and our industry, country and planet), and a frustrating time for writers – lots of bad news and very few genuine victories,' Doyle wrote. 'We can't seem to touch any of the big bosses responsible. Do people think taking down a fellow writer might satisfy as a consolation prize?' The board urged the membership to uphold the public censure. 'He was not 'blacklisted,' denied employment, or deprived of any of the rights of current members of the Guild,' the board wrote. 'He was called out for conduct that harmed Guild members.' WGA members were encouraged during the strike to report instances of strike-breaking to the guild. The Strike Rules Compliance Committee, led by writer Glen Mazzara, investigated dozens of such allegations, according to the board's response to Drake. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WGA Seeks to Discipline Four Writers for Breaking Guild Rules During 2023 Strike
The Writers Guild of America asked members on Friday to uphold disciplinary actions against four of their brethren who are accused of violating guild rules during the 2023 strike. Three of the writers — Edward John Drake, Roma Roth and Julie Bush — are accused of performing forbidden 'writing services' in violation of union solidarity. A fourth member, Tim Doyle, is accused of making an off-color joke in a Facebook group of fellow writers. More from Variety WGA West Ratifies Ellen Stutzman's Contract on 97% Vote, Elects Three New Board Members WGA West Unveils Candidates for Board of Directors Election in September Showrunner Tim Doyle Censured After WGA West Panel Finds Him Guilty of Posting Racist Image on Facebook The WGA West board voted to expel Drake and Roth, the severest form of punishment for guild rule violations. Bush was given a temporary suspension and a lifetime ban on serving as a strike captain, while Doyle was given a public censure. All four are appealing the discipline to the general membership. Three other members, who were not identified, were also found guilty by trial committees of writing during the strike. Those members elected not to appeal. A vote on the appeals will take place by online ballot from May 6-9. In written memos, each of the four writers asked the membership to overturn the board's decision. Several argued that they had been subjected to an unfair process, and had been tormented with the fear of public shaming and the ensuing consequences for their careers. 'The Board should not be able to intimidate, conduct unfair trials, dole out retaliatory discipline without due process, or disregard the recommendations of its committees and investigators,' Drake wrote. 'This has been a horrible ordeal, one I hope you never have to go through. I have been living under the guillotine of fear for months that I could wake up and the Board would have publicly announced my unfair expulsion.' Drake was the writer-director of an independent film, 'Guns Up,' which was in production in New Jersey during the strike. The WGAW board alleged that Drake engaged in 'scab writing' during production, and that he refused to turn over drafts of the script to guild investigators. Drake was also accused of refusing to identify a person who rewrote the ending of the film, and who was not a guild member. 'The trial committee explained to Drake the importance of identifying the strikebreaker, so the Guild could take action against an individual who undermined the strike,' the board wrote in its position statement. 'Drake still refused.' Drake argued that he was being punished for refusing to 'name names.' He also argued that he made 'adjustments' and 'tweaks' to the script in his capacity as the film's director, and that he did so in accordance with the Directors Guild of America guidelines. Such minor script revisions are the subject of a decades-long dispute between the WGA and the DGA. The WGA trial committee recommended an 18-month suspension, and offered to restore Drake's membership if he would identify the person who rewrote the ending. The board voted to increase the discipline to expulsion and to publicly identify Drake. According to Drake's appeal, the motion to expel was offered by Adam Conover, one of the most prominent strike leaders. 'If you believe Adam Conover and the Board should have to explain why they went against the recommendations of their own investigator, Head of the (Strike Rules Compliance Committee) and Trial Committee — the governing systems the WGAw has in place to ensure fair treatment of its members — then please vote to overturn their expulsion,' Drake wrote. In response, the WGA board argued that Drake had shown 'contempt' for the proceedings, and had stormed out of a hearing on several occasions. 'Every Guild member knows what it means when there's a strike: pencils down,' the board wrote. 'Edward Drake did not go pencils down during the strike.' Roth is a Canadian writer who was working as the showrunner on the series 'Sullivan's Crossing' in Nova Scotia when the strike began. According to the WGA board, two writers on the show informed the guild that Roth participated in a Zoom writers' room and engaged in other writing activity during the strike. 'The evidence established that, during the strike, Roth broke stories, revised outlines, rewrote scripts, and gave instructions, directions or suggestions to other writers regarding stories and teleplays,' the WGAW board wrote in its position statement. In her defense, Roth argued that she had ended her writing contract once the strike began, and continued on the show as a non-writing executive producer. She wrote that she was 'shocked' by the harsh discipline, and did not anticipate that the WGA would 'construe my producing work as 'performing writing services.'' Roth, who was also an executive producer on 'Virgin River,' is a dual member of the WGA and the Writers Guild of Canada. The show was produced under WGC jurisdiction, which required Roth to get a waiver from the WGA as the production company was not a signatory to the WGA contract. Once the strike began, the waiver was rescinded, precluding her from performing writing services for a non-signatory. She also stated that the two writers who testified against her were biased due to personal grievances. She also stated that the chair of the trial committee resigned after deciding the process was 'flawed and unfair.' 'I understand and respect the fact that you have all sacrificed a lot during the strike,' she wrote. 'Please know that I would never have knowingly caused harm to you or our Guild. Many producers and writers outside the U.S. continued to work during the strike, including both writers who testified against me.' Bush was also charged with violating the guild's prohibition against working for non-signatory companies. According to the documents, Bush was accused of turning in a revised draft of a pilot script for a show about Elon Musk and Tesla on May 22, three weeks into the strike. 'Scab writing cannot be tolerated,' the board wrote. 'It is anathema to the culture of solidarity among the membership that makes the Guild a fighting union.' Bush fought the charge. She argued that her lawyers had closed the deal for the show on the eve of the strike, and that she had exchanged numerous messages with WGA lawyers to make sure it was OK. She was found not to have broken the strike rule, because the company was not a signatory. She also said that the company had promised to become a signatory, but later reneged on their agreement and refused to pay her. The trial committee recommended a private letter of censure and a bar on serving as a strike captain for three years. The board upgraded the punishment to a suspension through May 2026, a lifetime ban on serving as a captain, and a public censure. In her appeal, she argued that she had not violated the rule against working for a non-signatory company, in part because she never got paid. She also argued that the only reason the WGA found out about the issue was because she had come to the guild for help. 'Yet, the very information I provided confidentially to get help against a manipulative company was ultimately turned around and weaponized by Guild staff to build the case against me,' she wrote. 'They are trying to make an example out of me. But I'm not an example. I'm a human being.' The WGA defended its decision to make Bush's decision public. 'The Board's decision is rooted in transparency,' the board wrote. 'The membership has a right to know when another member undermined that collective action, as Bush did. The membership also has a right to know the consequences for those who chose to write during the strike.' Doyle was publicly censured via a mass-email to the membership last July for a poor attempt at a joke on Facebook. In August 2023, a member in the WGA Writers Facebook group posted about a strike milestone: 'Happy 100th day, to all who observe…' 'I just got my tree up!' Doyle responded, with an image of silhouette of a man hanging from a tree branch. Doyle contended that the image was meant to reference his own suicide, and that it was 'gallows humor' about the anxiety that writers were feeling about the future of the industry. But some within the group took it as a racist depiction of a lynching. Doyle was accused of violating the WGA Constitution by engaging in 'conduct prejudicial to the welfare of the Guild.' A trial committee voted to give him a private censure, ruling that Doyle was remorseful and did not intend to post an image of a lynching. The committee also found that he had failed to fully account for the harm of his actions or offer a sincere apology. The board upgraded the discipline to a public censure, and pushed back on concerns that it was policing his speech on social media. 'The Board has the right to censure conduct it deems harmful to its members' interests, particularly where that conduct takes place publicly,' the board found. 'Such censure is itself a form of free speech.' In response, Doyle said that he continues to be 'mortified' by his action, and to reach out to apologize to those whom he offended. He also wrote that it was 'painful' to feel alienated from the writing community, and said that the censure speaks of a 'smallness' of attitude, a refusal to forgive, and a failure of empathy. 'These are obviously tough times for our union (and our industry, country and planet), and a frustrating time for writers – lots of bad news and very few genuine victories,' Doyle wrote. 'We can't seem to touch any of the big bosses responsible. Do people think taking down a fellow writer might satisfy as a consolation prize?' The board urged the membership to uphold the public censure. 'He was not 'blacklisted,' denied employment, or deprived of any of the rights of current members of the Guild,' the board wrote. 'He was called out for conduct that harmed Guild members.' WGA members were encouraged during the strike to report instances of strike-breaking to the guild. The Strike Rules Compliance Committee, led by writer Glen Mazzara, investigated dozens of such allegations, according to the board's response to Drake. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WGA West President Meredith Stiehm Calls On Studios To Sue AI Companies, Takes Aim At Trump At Guild Awards: 'We Do Not Cower In The Face Of Bullies'
WGA West President Meredith Stiehm sought to reassure members that the guild is doing its best to work in their favor during her speech at Saturday night's guild awards. Not only did she once speak out against the use of writers' work to train AI systems, she also took a jab at the Trump administration, declaring: 'We do not cower in the face of bullies.' More from Deadline WGA Awards: 'Anora' & 'Nickel Boys' Take Top Screenplay Prizes; 'Hacks', 'Shōgun', 'The Penguin' Among TV Winners — Full List Vince Gilligan Advises Amplifying 'Good Guys' And Warns Against Making Villains 'Too Sexy' During WGA Honorary Award Speech Bill Lawrence On The Importance Of Mentoring Young Writers, Or "People Who Will Give Me My Last Job When I Am Un-Hirable," As He Accepts WGA East Award 'As a president is being puppeted by the richest man in the world, working very hard to hurt vulnerable people, the lawlessness, the heartlessness is outrageous,' she said. 'People are understandably fearful, and I can only speak for our community here. We're just one small union in one state, but I want to say to our members, the guild's values have not changed. We believe in labor, in freedom of speech, civil rights, inclusion and equity.' She vowed to 'protect and push back politically,' reminding members that the union has already endured four years of Donald Trump in the Oval Office. Hollywood has been through a difficult few years, and writers in particular have faced incredible hardship. On the heels of the devastating wildfires, which kicked off a year that writers hoped might bring reprieve after years of work stoppages and a massive production contraction, Stiehm said the union is working hard to 'make these projects here in Los Angeles.' RELATED: The WGA and SAG-AFTRA embarked on dual strikes in 2023 that hinged on AI protections, and, unsurprisingly, Stiehm also addressed that in the room at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday. Recently, several unions have called on the studios to take legal action against AI companies using copyrighted work to train their algorithms. Since the writers sell their work to these companies, they have less recourse themselves. Stiehm reiterated this call to action on Saturday, urging the studios to 'please stand up and fight back on AI.' As further proof the union is working as best it can to serve its members, Stiehm added that the guild has recovered $78M in late pay and residuals owed to writers in the last year. 'If you're not being paid properly, call us. We'll get your money,' she promised. She continued: 'That is the kind of quiet but fierce work the guild does every day. The state of this union is strong. The Board of Directors, captains, the entire staff is a plus. We are brave, powerful, compassionate. Now more than ever, I am proud to be WGA and to represent you, our members.' Best of Deadline How To Watch The 'SNL50' Anniversary Concert And Three-Hour Special This Weekend Everything We Know About Christopher Nolan's Next Film – 'The Odyssey': Release Date, Cast And More 'Bridgerton' Season 4: Everything We Know So Far
