Who Are The Negotiators Working In The Shadows During The Writer's Strike?
Image Source: Entertainment Tonight
As the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes march on with no end in sight, some powerful negotiators are taking action behind the scenes to broker peace.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) declared a strike on May 2nd of this year, due to an inability to come to an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) over fair compensation, working conditions, and protection of jobs from AI. The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) declared their own strike on July 13th in solidarity with the WGA, citing many of the same concerns on the actor’s side of the camera. Since then, Hollywood production has come to a screeching halt, with no major progress on either side to reach an agreement.
In the past, such issues may have been remedied by a more forceful hand. Lew Wesserman, former president of the media conglomerate MCA, was considered the “godfather” whose influence was powerful enough to put a stop to the striking. But a position like Wesserman’s no longer exists in Hollywood; instead, the conflict turns to behind-the-scenes players for a resolution.
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Two powerful industry agents, Bryan Lourd, and Ari Emanuel, have stepped in to ease negotiations with SAG-AFTRA. Lourd, chief of the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and Emanuel, CEO of Endeavor Talent Agency, contacted the Actors Guild before the official strike announcement to prevent a total shutdown. Though the two powerful agents have often been rivals, it is reported that they are making some progress with studio chiefs to broker a deal with the actors.
The writing side of the strike, however, has had less luck. The Hollywood Reporter indicated that officials from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) have been called in to mediate. Javier Ramirez, a mediator who is reported to be President Joe Biden’s pick to be director of the FMCS, and associate Jimmy Valentine have reportedly been meeting with studio chiefs for weeks, calling into question AMPTP’s claim that the choice to bring in mediation was a last-minute call. Both mediators have worked on higher-stakes projects, including a hospital-wide strike that called for all patients to be relocated.
While neither side has indicated a concession, the presence of behind-the-scenes negotiators is promising. Even so, with no clear budging on either side, striking actors and writers may be in for the long haul.
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Source(s): IMDb, The Hollywood Reporter
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