UK Writers’ Guild Says It Will “Stand Shoulder To Shoulder” With WGA Following Strike Vote
The Writers Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) has once again thrown its weight behind the WGA, with its chair saying the WGGB will “stand shoulder to shoulder with our sister union.”
The WGGB issued a statement this morning after the WGA voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action if a deal cannot be struck by the May 1 cut-off. Talks kick off with the AMPTP today.
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WGGB Chair Lisa Holdsworth, a writer on Call the Midwife and A Discovery of Witches, said “many of [the WGA’s] issues are our issues.”
“Their fight is our fight,” she added.
“We hope that the WGA reaches a deal but we are ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with our sister union and their members in support of every writer’s right to be paid a decent rate for their work, to be treated with respect and to be financially rewarded for the success of their work – including subsequent use and sales.”
The WGA’s recent activity has “shown the power of a union,” added Holdsworth.
Last week, the WGGB issued a directive to its dozens of members via its Executive Council to refuse work on U.S. projects if the strike goes ahead.
Around 98% of WGA members voted to strike yesterday, setting a new record for both participation and the percentage of support in a strike authorization vote.
Sticking points center on the likes of streaming residuals, mini-rooms, pension plans and professional standards.
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