WGA/UTLA Picket
Dual members of DSA-LA and United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) helped organize a massive UTLA turnout to the Writers Guild of America (WGA) picket at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California on June 16, 2023. The picket featured writers and cast members from Abbot Elementary, the beloved sitcom on ABC which chronicles the lives of teachers at a fictional public school in Philadelphia.
William Stanford Davis, who plays the janitor, Mr. Johnson, Lisa Ann Walter, who plays 2nd-grade teacher Melissa Schemmenti, and Bruno Amato, who plays Gary the vending machine guy and Melissa’s boyfriend, all made surprise appearances on the picket line, the latter two sporting SAG-AFTRA T-shirts (SAG-AFTRA recently voted to authorize their own strike with a 97.91% Yes vote). Lisa Ann Walter spoke at the picket, saying “It’s about dignity and fairness for workers everywhere in this country... We at Abbott Elementary are on the side of the teachers... I am proud every single day to portray the profession... We stand with the WGA.”
While UTLA had been supporting the WGA strike since it began, the move to a more dedicated strike solidarity program was spearheaded by DSA-LA members in the union. At two of the May 17 UTLA Area Meetings, multiple DSA-LA/UTLA members brought motions to commit UTLA to adopt solidarity days to support WGA on the picket lines. After the motions passed unanimously, these DSA members worked with WGA strike captains as well as UTLA political and communications staff to promote the June 16 picket. CA-DSA’s own Paul Zappia made a beautiful flier to promote the event on social media, which gained hundreds of likes and tens of thousands of views across multiple platforms.
The results of this dedicated mobilization effort spoke for themselves, with well over 100 UTLA members out in full force. Former UTLA Elementary VP and current UTLA Treasurer Gloria Martinez spoke at the picket, saying “We are here to send a message to the executives who refuse to acknowledge the work that it takes to make these pages come to life ... This is about dignity, respect — something teachers know about.”
Also there in solidarity were members of California Nurses Association as well as LAUSD Board members Jackie Goldberg and Dr. Rocío Rivas (also a DSA member), who DSA-LA worked hand in glove with UTLA to elect last year. During her remarks, Dr. Rivas said, “This is a war on the working class... We cannot let them win... Because we matter... Creativity matters... We will win because we have people power, and when people power is activated, they better watch out.”
This was the first of a series of solidarity days UTLA is adopting to meaningfully support WGA’s strike. As was written in the rationale for the UTLA motion, “Solidarity is the lifeblood of our labor movement. WGA members showed up to support our struggle for a fair contract, and it’s now our duty to show the same solidarity to our union siblings in WGA who are fighting for better wages, dignity, and respect on the job.”
