SOLIDARITY: Last News

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International As strike action is set to get underway in Los Angeles and New York, the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain has officially instructed its members to halt work on projects within the jurisdiction of the Writers’ Guild of America. A statement released by the WGGB on Tuesday afternoon local time reads as follows: “We understand that these are difficult times and that many writers are in need of work but we are advising our members not to work on projects in the jurisdiction of the WGA for the duration of the strike following a motion of solidarity passed by our lay governing body, our Executive Council and in line with our affiliation agreement with the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds, of which we are a member.”

The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) has sent out guidance to its members over the strike and said it will bar non-members from joining the Guild in future if they break rank.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The Writers Guild of America has detailed the vast differences between writers and the studios that led to the first strike in 15 years, which will begin Tuesday. In a lengthy document, the guild spelled out its proposal for a TV staffing minimum, which would range from six to 12 writers per show, based on the number of episodes. That proposal is a non-starter for the studios, which declined to make a counter-offer. The guild also wants a guaranteed minimum number of weeks of employment per season, ranging from 10 weeks to 52 weeks. The studios likewise rejected that proposal and did not make a counter-offer.

EXCLUSIVE: “There are folks that are working in the motion picture industry that are not making enough money to have a sustainable life, to be able to buy a home — which is just insane,” says Hollywood Teamsters leader Lindsay Dougherty of the hard economic realities her members and other Hollywood unions like the Writers Guild of America are being squeezed by.

A contender to be Labour’s candidate in a likely by-election quit the party four years ago over Brexit.

Tyrell Malacia set a target of 20 appearances in his first Manchester United season. His start against Aston Villa was his 36th.

The Transport Secretary has caused a stir after accusing rail unions of 'cynically targeting' major events to cause disruption.

The American Federation of Musicians is the latest union to pledge solidarity with the WGA in its ongoing negotiations for a new film and scripted TV contract. Earlier this week, SAG-AFTRA, the DGA, IATSE and the Teamsters all expressed support for the WGA in its contract talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers.

The WGA East said Wednesday that it has reached a tentative agreement with the Bustle Digital Group for a first-time contract covering 125 staffers employed at nine of its news sites: Bustle, Elite Daily, Fatherly, Inverse, Nylon, Romper, Scary Mommy, The Dad and The Zoe Report. 

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The Directors Guild of America issued a statement of support for the Writers Guild of America on Monday, as negotiations between the WGA and the studios entered their last full week before the May 1 contract expiration. In the statement, the DGA said “we support them in their efforts to achieve a fair and reasonable agreement for their members.” “During this time of significant change for our industry, all the creative talent, artisans, craftspeople, and workers who make the films and television shows that drive our industry deserve to earn a stable living and share in the success we build together,” the DGA continued. “We all have a stake in issues like wages, streaming residuals, funding for our health and pension plans, health and safety and more. We urge the AMPTP to seriously consider the writers’ concerns and reach a fair and reasonable agreement.”

Chrissy Teigen has voiced her solidarity for "all the other Disney cruise parents". The 37-year-old model - who has Luna, seven, Miles, four, and Esti, three months, with her husband John Legend - recently embarked on a Disney-themed cruise with her kids, and she admits that it was a stressful experience. In a series of Twitter posts, Chrissy wrote: "leaving a disney cruise is like leaving Las Vegas except you only feeeeeel like you binged drugs, and, you are wet "I have never been more sore, I’m coughing up…something, the bottoms of my feet are roasted rotisserie, I just got phone service and I still feel like we are rocking.

William Earl SAG-AFTRA’s national board has lent its support to the WGA as the latter guild buckles down for a last sprint of negotiations next week in the days leading up to the May 1 expiration of film and TV writers’ master contract with Hollywood’s major employers. “SAG-AFTRA stands strongly in support and solidarity with the members of the Writers Guild of America who are engaged in contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. It is long past time for the studios, streamers, and other employers in the entertainment industry to remove roadblocks to fair and equitable wages and working conditions, and to agree to terms that reflect the unique worth and contribution of creative talent and workers, without whom the industry would not exist,” read a resolution passed Saturday by a unanimous vote of SAG-AFTRA’s national board.

SAG-AFTRA’s National Board voted unanimously today to approve a resolution “strongly in support” of the WGA in its ongoing negotiations for a new film and TV contract. “It is long past time for the studios, streamers, and other employers in the entertainment industry to remove roadblocks to fair and equitable wages and working conditions,” the resolution states, “and to agree to terms that reflect the unique worth and contribution of creative talent and workers, without whom the industry would not exist.”

As the Writers Guild of America’s negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers is about to enter the final week before their contract expires, both sides are hopeful it won’t take a strike to get a deal done. But the WGA’s long battle with the talent agencies showed it can reach agreements with even the most intractable of mega-companies.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Two-time Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi, Iran’s best-known director, was at the Zurich Film Festival last September when protests following the death of Mahsa Amini erupted in his home country. Since then, the auteur of “A Separation,” “The Salesman” and “A Hero” has not returned to Iran. He’s been working on a new film in Los Angeles and Europe. Interestingly, he says he plans to go back to his country before he shoots this film, even though he is not 100% sure they will let him out again. It’s clearly a risk that the enigmatic Farhadi is willing to take. Farhadi was in Turin on Monday to give a masterclass at Italy’s National Museum of Cinema, where he also received a lifetime achievement award. In a rare interview, he took questions via e-mail from Variety.

Malina Saval Associate Editor, Features Growing up in Australia, civil rights in the U.S. were not part of Craig Emanuel’s school curriculum. So when the future power attorney moved to Los Angeles in the 1980s, he “read everything” he could get his hands on.  “I was fascinated,” says Emanuel. “And when it was the 50th anniversary of the marches on the Edmund Pettus Bridge [in 2015], I turned to [my wife] and said, ‘I want to go to Selma.’”  An avid photographer, Emanuel has “saved every negative [he’s] shot” from the age of 6. He’d photographed historic events like President Barack Obama’s inauguration and wanted to do the same in Selma, Ala. Upon the suggestion of a colleague, Emanuel reached out to the Faith & Politics Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 1991 to bridge racial, religious and political schisms among politicians. Rep. John Lewis, who died in 2020, organized the group’s annual civil rights pilgrimage to Selma. Emanuel and his wife made plans to join the organization there. 

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain says it’s ready to stand “shoulder to shoulder” with its U.S. counterpart if a strike goes ahead. “Many of their issues are our issues,” said WGGB chair Lisa Holdsworth in a statement shared with Variety. “Their fight is our fight. 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.”

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The Writers Guild of America has passed a strike authorization vote with 97.85% voting in favor, giving union leadership the power to call a strike once the contract expires on May 1. In an email to members, the guild said that 78.79% of eligible members had cast ballots. “These results set a new record for both participation and the percentage of support in a strike authorization vote,” the guild said. “Our membership has spoken. You have expressed your collective strength, solidarity and the demand for meaningful change in overwhelming numbers. Armed with this demonstration of unity and resolve, we will continue to work at the negotiating table to achieve a fair contract for all writers.”

WGA members have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. The vote, which was approved by 97% of the eligible voting members, authorizes the WGA West Board and the WGA East Council to call a strike if a fair deal for a new film and TV contract isn’t reached by May 1, when the current pact expires.

Warning: This post contains spoilers from the season 4 finale of Love Is Blind.

Warning: This post contains spoilers from the season 4 finale of Love Is Blind.