The Directors Guild of America told members that if they did not cross the picket line if entertainment industry writers went on strike, they could face employer reversals, as required by its contract.
He mentioned the union representing managers, unit production managers and assistant managers More than 19,000 members on Tuesday received a message Hollywood Reporter It was part of the DGA’s “no strike” clause with studios and live broadcasts. The clause, common in labor contracts, requires that the union “will not invite, participate in, or assist any strike or slowdown or stoppage of work affecting motion picture production” over the course of the current contract, which ends June 30. The clause also requires that the DGA “will use its best efforts in good faith to require its members to perform their services for their employer” even if other industry unions strike.
After clerks in the industry overwhelmingly struck earlier this week, the writers union can call a strike as soon as May 1, though work stoppages are still not guaranteed and dependent on the outcome of current negotiations with studios and broadcasters.
“An essential element of our Basic Agreement is that the union not only refrain from striking during the term of the Basic Agreement, but also that the union assures employers that our members will continue to perform services covered by the DGA for the duration of the Basic Agreement,” said DGA President Leslie Linka Glatter and Executive Director National Hollander wrote in the letter, which sought to answer questions after the vote to authorize the strike in the WGA. “These rulings are taken very seriously by companies and the courts, and we take these obligations very seriously as well.”
Hollywood Reporter The DGA has been reached for comment.
For members who belong to both the WGA and the DGA, the Directors Association has advised that if they are only working on a project as a DGA member and not as a writer, “you should continue working.” If the worker is employed as a clerk and a member of the DGA, the union said, “We will provide you with additional information after the WGA issues its strike rules.”
A source who is a member of both the DGA and WGA said, “It’s a real deadlock. I can’t cross the picket line in good conscience.”
In its letter this week, the DGA was quick to note that it doesn’t know if the WGA will go on strike once the movie and TV contract expires on May 1. The Writers Guild is still in negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the latter on Monday issuing a statement noting that its goal is to reach a “fair and reasonable agreement”.
The DGA is currently scheduled to enter negotiations with AMPTP on May 10. Even if the writers went on strike after their contract expired on May 1, the union assured its members that the potential work stoppage would not affect the start of their negotiations. “We have a fiduciary responsibility to you, our members, to achieve the best possible deal. In addition, we have a legal and contractual obligation to bargain in good faith, and we intend to honor that obligation,” Glatter and Hollander wrote.
The DGA has been preparing its members for months for a contentious round of negotiations this spring. It will be “one of the most difficult and complex things we’ve faced in many years,” leaders told members earlier this year. The union seeks to improve the residual flow of members, implement new safety standards, gain greater transparency from employers, support their health and pension plans and make progress on diversity initiatives.
Kim Masters contributed reporting.
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