Wrapping up the WGA Strike
Since I last wrote for California Red back in May, a lot has happened! On May 24th, WGA had been on strike for about a month. And after 148 very long, very hot, very exhausting days, their strike ended on September 27th with a historic contract for Hollywood workers. The contract includes regulations on artificial intelligence use, crucially needed minimum staff numbers for writers’ rooms, and new residual compensation for streaming content, amongst other details. With a 99% ratification rate, it’s fair to say the workers were happy with the deal their strike got them. DSA-LA’s work was even featured in the WGA’s internal newsletter, explaining and thanking our chapter for our work.
SAG-AFTRA strike captains - along with The Mandalorian and Baby Yoda - celebrate a Snackpack delivery at the Disney picket line.
But the Hollywood strikes are not over—because on July 14th, 2023, over 65,000 Hollywood workers with SAG-AFTRA joined the WGA to go on strike. And as of the time of this writing, they’re about to hit the 100-day marker. As WGA and DSA member Brenden Gallagher told the WGA’s internal newsletter, “The DSA and Hollywood Labor have been just a crucial network of support.” So we can’t stop now!
Aden's Tacos, funded by DSA-LA Snacklist donations, distributing food to hundreds of WGA members at Netflix picket line
The Snacklist and the Snackpack
During these dual strikes, DSA-LA went all out to show our support for workers fighting for fair wages and fair contracts. The chapter had launched THE SNACKLIST back in May, and it kept growing and growing in size. As of this writing the chapter has raised over $87,000 in funds from across the country and across the globe. Crucially, these were not a few big-dollar donations—the average donation is currently around $20. We wanted to show Hollywood workers that workers everywhere stood with them—that this is all one shared struggle. And socialists from everywhere answered that call. With a steady stream of donations, we moved to activate one of the largest mutual aid programs our chapter has ever taken on: The Snackpack.
Since the strike started, over 100 DSA volunteers have made over 440 deliveries to the ten different picket lines across the city, from Netflix, Paramount and CBS TV City in our Central Branch, to Universal to Disney to Warner Bros in our San Fernando Valley Branch, and Amazon, Sony and Fox on our Westside. Our “Snackpackers”, as we like to call them, have been an incredible way to mobilize for the pickets. With many of our members working 9-5 jobs, the Snackpack offered the chance for members to make deliveries of snacks and solidarity before work or during their lunch break. It has been a crucial tool to connect our chapter’s and organization's work with workers on the picket lines. Many members are facing food insecurity, and knowing that DSA will be there to feed them a meal makes a world of difference.
DSA-LA members joining the Paramount picket line on July 14th, 2023, the day SAG-AFTA went on strike.
Part of the fight
It’s not just about building connections with Hollywood workers, either. As Rusteen Honardoost, one of the Snackpack coordinators, explained, “I was shocked when we had over 100 volunteers sign up to join our team. As we started making calls to get them onboard, we learned that a majority of these volunteers don't even work in Hollywood: they saw a labor struggle happening in their backyard and wanted to get involved. They didn't want to sit on the sidelines. They wanted to be a part of that fight, even if they had nothing to gain from it themselves. It is the textbook definition of solidarity, and those conversations we had will always stick with me.”
Our chapter also recognized that WGA and SAG-AFTRA members are not the only workers hurt by a strike. On September 27th, DSA-LA was proud to host a night of JOHN EARLY & FRIENDS comedy shows to fundraise for IATSE, USWW and Teamster members who have struggled financially due to the slowdown of local production work. The shows featured comedians like Meg Statler, Chelsea Peretti, Macy Rodman, and Tim Hedeicker; labor leaders like Lindsay Dougherty of Teamsters Local 399 and David Huerta, head of SEIU United Service Workers West; and our local elected officials on City Council, Nithya Raman and Hugo Soto-Martinez. We sold over 1200 tickets—selling out both shows— and raised over $30,000 for Labor Community Services and the World Harvest Food Bank.
But it’s not over yet. We’re glad to see WGA-W members continue on the picket lines for SAG-AFTRA, even though their deal is done. Hotel workers with UNITE HERE 11 are still on strike, and you’ll see Hollywood workers outside the hotel picket lines, and hotel workers outside the major studios. The Hollywood unions in Los Angeles have finally joined the labor movement, and DSA has been there every step of the way. So while Hot Labor Summer might be over, we’re already celebrating Solidarity Season.