The Writers Guild of America West could soon have another strike on their hands, but not one involving Hollywood’s studios or streamers.
Rather, the labor group’s own staff union — the union within the union, as it were — on Thursday authorized a strike as they claim that negotiations over their first contract have stalled as management has engaged in bad-faith bargaining. Eighty-two percent of the 100 staffers that participated voted to authorize a strike, the Writers Guild Staff Union announced on Instagram on Thursday.
“If management won’t bargain in good faith with us at the table, we will see them on the picket line,” the post stated.
A strike authorization does not guarantee a strike, but it does allow union leaders to call one if they deem it necessary.
In a statement, the WGA West refuted allegations that management had engaged in bad-faith bargaining and said it had offered “comprehensive proposals with numerous union protections and improvements to compensation and benefits.”
The union added, “Public claims suggesting otherwise are inaccurate, and allegations of unfair labor practices are without merit. WGAW respects the staff’s right to engage in collective activity, and hopes to reach a first contract agreement with the staff union soon.”
The WGSU says that it has been negotiating its first contract with the union since September 2025 and is still fighting for “basic protections” like grievance processes, AI protections and raises for union members, according to a public flier seen by THR.
“At this point in negotiations, we should be in alignment on these issues. Yet for nearly five months, WGAW management has dismissed our staff’s needs and engaged in bad faith surface bargaining with no intent to reach a fair contract,” the flier stated.
The group added that management is attempting to “keep near-total control over our wages and working conditions” and that staffers “will not stand by and let this happen.”
The timing is hardly fortuitous for the union. The WGA’s east and west coast branches are just a few months out from entering the first negotiations with Hollywood studios and streamers since their 148-day strike in 2023. The union is expected to start talks on March 16, and a few months prior would typically be the time for the labor group to cement priorities and strategize, not to face their own internal labor battles.
Indeed, a group of self-described WGA captains — volunteer members that communicate union messaging to rank-and-file peers — commented on WGSU’s Instagram post expressing their solidarity. “We’ve got your back. Always,” it stated. The WGA relied heavily on its captain system during its negotiations in 2023.
The WGSU is affiliated with the Pacific Northwest Staff Union. The union was voluntarily recognized by management after a card count showed majority support for the effort in April 2025.
Read the full article here
