Startling move: WGA West staff walk off the job as negotiations with AMPTP loom.
The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) staff have initiated a strike, signaling escalating tensions just one month before the guild is slated to start bargaining with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The WGA West Staff Union (WGSU) announced the work stoppage on Tuesday and said its members will picket outside the WGA West offices in Los Angeles until further notice.
The union, which organized last spring, has been negotiating its first contract with management intermittently since September. WGSU has repeatedly accused management of bad-faith bargaining, alleging that employers have surveilled workers for union activity, terminated supporters, and engaged in surface bargaining aimed at stalling progress on core issues.
These actions follow a ULP (unfair labor practices) charge filed by the WGSU with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that a member of the organizing committee was unlawfully fired.
In a Tuesday statement, a WGAW spokesperson said the guild respects the staff union’s right to strike and will continue negotiating in good faith. The Guild notes it has participated in 19 negotiating sessions since September, offering comprehensive proposals that included numerous protections and improvements to compensation and working conditions. It characterized the WGSU’s allegations as meritless and affirmed that the WGAW Board, Negotiating Committee, and executive staff will press ahead with preparations for upcoming MBA negotiations and maintain core Guild functions. The leadership expressed optimism for a first-contract resolution with the staff union.
Following the strike authorization by WGSU earlier in the month, the WGAW published a side‑by‑side comparison of the two parties’ proposals and counterproposals.
As of Tuesday, WGAW announced the guild’s headquarters would be closed to members and the public until further notice, with all upcoming events canceled, including two meetings that week to discuss bargaining priorities ahead of talks with the AMPTP.
The timing is especially tight: the WGA is preparing to enter negotiations for a new TV/theatrical contract with major Hollywood studios in March, with the current contract expiring on May 1.
The WGA West staff union draws its members from the Pacific Northwest Staff Union and includes roles across residuals and dues processing, IT and data management, organizing, communications, legal, research, Writers Guild Theater staff, and contract enforcement.
