July 12, 2023
Los Angeles, CA — As the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) continues negotiating for a contract that respects their indispensable role in America’s motion picture and television industry from the studios, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), Teamsters, Hollywood Basic Crafts (Hollywood Basic Crafts (Teamsters Local 399, IBEW Local 40, LiUNA! Local 724, OPCMIA Local 755 and UA Local 78), the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE), and the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) extend our unwavering support and solidarity.
Hollywood must be a place where every worker, on-screen and off, is treated according to the value their skills and talents command. While the studios have collective worth of trillions of dollars, billions of viewers globally, and sky-high profits, this fight is not about actors against the studios, but rather about workers across all crafts and departments in the industry standing together to prevent mega-corporations from eroding the conditions we fought decades to achieve.
We recognize the actors have taken the step of voting in favor of strike authorization, arming SAG-AFTRA leadership with the authority to call a strike if the studios do not address performers’ unique priorities. As their current agreement is set to expire on July 12, 2023, we call on the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to immediately acknowledge the contributions of performers and negotiate a suitable contract with their union.
We will reiterate: Together, our solidarity is not to be underestimated. The Hollywood Unions and Guilds stand more united than ever.
In solidarity,
Lesli Linka Glatter
President, DGA
Matthew D. Loeb
International President, IATSE
Michael Winship
President, Writers Guild of America, East
Lindsay Dougherty
Motion Picture Division Director & Western Region Vice President, Teamsters Hollywood Basic Crafts, Chairperson
Meredith Stiehm
President, Writers Guild of America West
ABOUT THE DGA
In the eight decades since its founding in 1936, the DGA has fought for the economic and creative rights of its members; protected their ability to financially benefit from the reuse of their work; established strong pension and health plans; and established jurisdiction in new technologies and distribution platforms. Today we represent more than 19,000 directors and members of the directorial team working in film, television, commercials, new media and other audiovisual media.
ABOUT IATSE
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees or IATSE (full name: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada), is a labor union representing over 168,000 technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live theatre, motion picture and television production, broadcast, and trade shows in the United States and Canada. For more information, please visit iatse.net
ABOUT IBT MOTION PICTURE DIVISION
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The Motion Picture Division of the Teamsters represents over 12,000 members in North America who work on feature, television, commercial, and theatrical productions produced across the United States, Canada and around the globe.
ABOUT WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA, EAST
The Writers Guild of America, East, AFL-CIO (WGAE) is a labor union representing writers in film, television, broadcast and streaming news, podcasts, and online media. The Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members; conducts programs, seminars and events on issues of interest to writers; and presents writers’ views to various bodies of government. For more information on the Writers Guild of America, East, visit wgaeast.org.
ABOUT WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA, WEST
The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) is a labor union representing writers of motion pictures, television, radio, and Internet programming, including news and documentaries. Founded in 1933, the Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members. It is involved in a wide range of programs that advance the interests of writers, and is active in public policy and legislative matters on the local, national, and international levels. For more information on the WGAW, please visit: www.wga.org.
ABOUT HOLLYWOOD BASIC CRAFTS
Hollywood Basic Crafts, comprised of Teamsters Local 399, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 40 (IBEW), Laborers International Union of North America Local 724 (LiUNA!), United Association Plumbers Local 78 (UA) and Operating Plasterers & Cement Masons International Association (OPCMIA) Local 755, collectively represent close to 8,000 members working in the Entertainment Industry.