Writers unions in UK, Australia & Canada tell members to turn down Hollywood work amid WGA strike

Writers unions in Australia, Canada and the UK have told its members to turn down any work offered by US studios, as the stand-off with creatives in Hollywood enters its second day.

The Writers Guild of America’s 11,500 members started striking on Tuesday after talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) failed to agree terms to a new contract.

Faced with the possibility of an extended period of inactivity, Hollywood could look to writers outside of the US but international unions have been quick to advise members against taking on projects.

The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) said it would support the WGA “to the fullest extent possible” as a fellow member of the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds, with president Alex Levine adding that “the compensation issues that pushed WGA members to strike apply to all writers in the digital streaming age.”

To work as a screenwriter in the USA, you need to be a member of the WGA. If you break the WGA strike by taking work in the US jurisdiction for the duration of the strike, you risk being blacklisted by the WGA which could seriously damage your long-term career

WGGB statement

The WGC pointed its members to their “obligations”, namely that Canadian resident can work under the Independent Production Agreement (IPA) (which remains in force until 31 December, 2023) but cannot accept “struck work”, which “includes anything that is normally a WGA show.

“For example, this includes U.S.-based productions and productions that are already under a WGA contract.”

Australia, UK & others

Unions in Israel, the Nordics, Australia and the UK were also quick to advise its members against taking on US studio work.

“The Australian Writers’ Guild supports our fellow writers of the WGA in their current negotiations and in their decision to take strike action. The rights and conditions of screenwriters underpin any healthy and vibrant screen industry,” said the Aussie organisation.

“With strike action now in force, the AWG advises members not to work on active projects within the jurisdiction of the WGA, to pitch new projects designed for production within the jurisdiction of the WGA, or to cross picket lines, actual or virtual, for the duration of the strike.

The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) also urged solidarity with its US counterpart.

“I know that my fellow WGGB members will share my message of solidarity to our colleagues overseas, and I know many will also have understandable concerns about the impact on their work here, at a time when the traditional boundaries around genre and jurisdiction fall away, and when writers here face their own challenges,” said WGGB chair Lisa Holdsworth.

“We’re your union – we’re here to support and advise you, and now is no different – so don’t hesitate to reach out to us.”

The WGGB also pointed to the WGA’s Strike Rule 13, which effectively bars writers who break the strike from future membership.

“The WGA operates a collective bargaining system sometimes referred to as a ‘Guild Shop’,” said the WGGB. “This means that companies who are signatories to the MBA agreement cannot hire writers who are not WGA members and WGA members are prohibited from working for companies who are not signatories to the AMPTP Minimum Basic Agreement.

“In reality, this means that to work as a screenwriter in the USA, you need to be a member of the WGA. If you break the WGA strike by taking work in the US jurisdiction for the duration of the strike, you risk being blacklisted by the WGA which could seriously damage your long-term career.”

Pickets have already sprung up across LA, with AMPTP members – ranging from Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and NBCUniversal to Paramount, Sony, Netflix, Amazon and Apple – all seeing WGA members protesting.