The Writers Guild of America West has voluntarily recognised a union formed by its own staffers after a card count revealed that the majority of the bargaining unit favoured organising.
The screenwriters’ labour group gave the green light to all non-supervisory staffers to join the Pacific Northwest Staff Union after the count revealed 81 percent of the bargaining unit supported the move, the Writers Guild Staff Union announced on Tuesday. One hundred fifteen staffers who work in departments from legal to communications to residuals will join the PNWSU, which also represents staffers at the LA County Federation of Labor and several SEIU Locals.
“We have an agreement on our first demand, and we’re excited to take this important step towards having a voice in improving our workplace and organizing without fear of retaliation,” WGA West operations coordinator and union organizer Doug MacIsaac sad in a statement. “We’re happy to be able to advocate for ourselves and look forward to negotiating our first collective bargaining agreement.”
In a letter to union members on Tuesday, the WGA West board of directors said, “We heartily congratulate the staff on their decision to form a union. The right to organise and collectively bargain are central tenets of our organisation.”
Source: Hollywood Reporter
