April 28, 2023  | By McCathern Law

The McCathern Media & Entertainment practice, led by Partner Adam Mehr, represents clients in the entertainment industry who could soon be affected by a possible strike by the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA). The WGA Negotiating Committee is bargaining with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) with a goal of reaching a deal by the May 1st contract deadline, but in the meantime they are preparing for a possible strike.

The WGA has created strike rules in case a strike is launched and they were distributed to writer representatives, including to our attorneys. The WGA is demanding that representatives not engage in the following activities on behalf of WGA members:

  • Procure MBA-covered work with struck companies;
  • Negotiate MBA-covered employment or option/purchases of literary material with struck companies;
  • Set up general meetings or pitches—whether in-person or virtual—with struck companies for MBA-covered work.

The WGA has also distributed their 2023 Strike Rules and a FAQ. The Guild’s staff are available to respond to questions at legal@wga.org or 323-782-4521. If our Media & Entertainment clients have related questions about the strike that McCathern’s attorneys can assist with, please reach out to us at any time.