L.A. Board Of Supervisors Backs Striking Actors, Urges Studios To Return To Talks

deadline.com:

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to send a letter to the major studios urging them to return to the bargaining table with striking actors.

The move comes on the 85th day of the Writers Guild strike and Day 10 of the SAG-AFTRA strikes against members of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

The board approved a similar motion to support writers early in the WGA strike. “The people who power Los Angeles are on strike and deserve a fair deal,” Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said in a statement after today’s vote, which took place during the board’s regular meeting. “Instead of returning to the negotiating table, the (AMPTP) strategy is to inflict pain, causing people to lose their housing and livelihoods, with the futures of small businesses also on the line.” Horvath and Supervisor Hilda Solis introduced the motion to urge the AMPTP “to return to the negotiating table and end this strike by meeting a reasonable agreement” with the 160,000-member actors union.

The board also approved a second motion by Horvath and Supervisor Kathryn Barger to explore programs and services that can keep small businesses impacted by the strikes afloat, while assessing the economic mpact on the employees and contractors that serve the entertainment industry at large. “The entertainment industry strike is having a ripple effect on many mom-and-pop businesses that, through no fault of their own, are having a tough time making ends meet due to an unexpected loss of clients and revenue,” Barger said. “The pandemic taught us that county resources can be mobilized to effectively help small businesses owners.