Among the many updates on the Writers Guild West and SAG AFTRA twin strikes are that Common Studios has relented and poured new asphalt and eliminated limitations after the WGA began a petition with 26,000 signatures. WGA and SAG AFTRA held a joint press convention, and the LAPD Labor Relations Division examined the location and really helpful that NBC Common set up Okay-Rails for pedestrian security.
These actions had been along with the mirror Nationwide Labor Board grievances filed by the 2 unions alleging that Comcast NBC Common blocked the sidewalks in entrance of their important entrance to impede picket strains.
Hollywood’s placing Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA actors’ union filed a grievance with the Nationwide Labor Relations Board in opposition to Comcast’s NBCUniversal, accusing the corporate of blocking a picket space https://t.co/CHq3YFyAYW
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 19, 2023
No Shade
There was additionally the problem of the bushes alongside Lankershim that had been abruptly trimmed round July 18. The Metropolis Controller Kenneth Meija’s workplace’s investigation discovered that NBC Common didn’t get the correct permits to trim the tree and fined them $250.00, the utmost fantastic allowed by regulation.
INVESTIGATION 🌳 UPDATE:
StreetsLA has knowledgeable us that they’re issuing a quotation within the quantity of $250 (first-time offense) to Common Studios. The quotation alleges a violation of trimming bushes and not using a metropolis allow.
Outdated legal guidelines restrict penalties the Metropolis can subject. https://t.co/8ge7LElRao pic.twitter.com/T1jOWvXEB4
— LA Metropolis Controller Kenneth Mejia (@lacontroller) July 21, 2023
The WGA petition states, “Through the week of Might 8, 2023, NBC Common started a development mission on Lankershim Boulevard. Since then, your development mission has eradicated entry to whole sidewalks and gates the place picketing was occurring. First, one sidewalk was fenced in by scaffolding. Then one other.
Inside 4 weeks, NBC Common had fenced in and demolished each sidewalk surrounding Gates 1, 2, 4, and 5—all of which had been gates with energetic picketing. Gates 1 and 5, which do not need site visitors lights or crosswalks, are actually inaccessible besides by strolling in a lane of oncoming site visitors which creates an apparent important security threat to picketers.”
Harmful To Pedestrians
The road in entrance of Common Studios’ important entrance and the one aspect of the studio which is pleasant to picketing is Lankershim, a busy road with a freeway offramp, making security considerations about having the ability to entry the sidewalk throughout a picket essential. SAG AFTRA has refused to permit their members to picket in entrance of Common particularly, judging that the situation was unsafe. NBC Common has obtained requests from members of the Los Angeles Metropolis Council, together with Paul Krekorian and the Writers Guild of America, and obtained approval from the County of Los Angeles to arrange Okay-rail limitations.
WGA negotiating committee cochair @DavidAGoodman mentioned, “Our employers hate picketing. They actually hate it. They actually need us to go away. NBCU hated it a lot they ripped up the…sidewalks.”
“Our employers hate picketing. They actually hate it. They actually need us to go away. NBCU hated it a lot they ripped up the fucking sidewalks,” WGA negotiating committee cochair @DavidAGoodman #WGAstrike #SAGAFTRAstrike #1u https://t.co/KqEfOJuh0f
— Writers Guild of America West (@WGAWest) August 1, 2023
The Battle of Radford
At CBS Radford, WGA and SAG AFTRA picketers weren’t allowed by the studio to picket alongside the shady space instantly in entrance of the studio in any case gates on Radford had been marked as impartial gates. For 88 days, they picketed in atrocious warmth, the place the sidewalk temperature was recorded at 116 levels by the WGA Lot Captain Andrea Whipple.
The picketers lastly received the precise to picket within the shade on July 31 after the WGA threatened authorized motion and a Hollywood Reporter investigative article.
“Beginning Monday, this picket line might be transferring to Radford Avenue. We may have an observer right here [on Colfax] as a result of it will flip right into a impartial gate, and we’re gonna lastly be picketing within the fucking shade!” @whipsical #WGAstrike #1u #WGAstrong https://t.co/HQemUU33kn
— Writers Guild of America West (@WGAWest) July 28, 2023
Almost 100 Days
Talking of July 31, that marked the 91st day of the WGA strike. On August 9, the WGA will formally be on strike for 100 days, and SAG AFTRA may have been on strike for 26 days.
WGA Letter To Members Alerts Attainable Return To Bargaining
WGA members on the social media website Twitter, which has been just lately renamed X by proprietor Elon Musk, cautiously shared a letter despatched from the WGA Negotiating Committee that said,
“DEAR MEMBERS,
The AMPTP, via Carol Lombardini, reached out to the WGA at this time and requested a gathering this Friday to debate negotiations.
We’ll be again in communication with you someday after the assembly with additional data. As we have mentioned earlier than, be cautious of rumors. Each time there’s essential information to share, you’ll hear it instantly from us.
IN SOLIDARITY, WGA NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE.”
“Beginning Monday, this picket line might be transferring to Radford Avenue. We may have an observer right here [on Colfax] as a result of it will flip right into a impartial gate, and we’re gonna lastly be picketing within the fucking shade!” @whipsical #WGAstrike #1u #WGAstrong https://t.co/HQemUU33kn
— Writers Guild of America West (@WGAWest) July 28, 2023
Dolores Quintana is an actor and author dwelling in Los Angeles. She has bylines at Fangoria, Different Press, Nightmarish Conjurings, Grammy.com/The Recording Academy, The Advocate, Buddyhead, Pocho.com, The Theatre @ Boston Courtroom, The Mirror Media Group, What Now Media, We Like LA, and The Shudder Weblog. She has a profitable YouTube channel and podcast referred to as Burnt Orange Goals, the place she interviews actors, writers, and administrators.