WGA Strike Authorization Meeting: Sides Remain “Far Away” From A Deal Despite “A Little Bit Of Progress” At Bargaining Table
deadline.comNegotiations for a new WGA contract have made “a little bit of progress” on feature films, but otherwise the two sides remain “far away” from a deal.
That’s the word coming out of tonight’s WGA strike authorization meeting, which was “very persuasive if you needed persuading,” said a member who attended. “But I don’t see how any guild member won’t vote yes.” The meeting, held via Zoom, was the third this week with two more to follow before the votes are counted Monday.
Bargaining is expected to resume on Friday. Former WGA West President Chris Keyser, who co-chairs the guild’s Negotiating Committee, did most of the talking. “He started out very, very calm and wise, and then got more emotional at the end,” the source said. “He talked about how the compensation system is broken.
He said that no one wants a strike but said that the two sides are ‘far away’ from a deal. That’s an exact quote. He said that negotiations have really just begun, but the companies have really not given us much of anything.” Keyser told the meeting that the companies are complaining that “streaming is costing us a fortune” and that “this is not a good time to ask for money.” But, according to our source, “he also said that we are not going to back down on the most important provisions, which are writers rooms and compensation.
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