LOS ANGELES, CA — Matthew D. Loeb, International President for the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), issued the following statement Tuesday:

“IATSE supports the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) in their collective fight to win a fair contract from Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on behalf of the talented workers they represent.

The motion picture and television industry thrives on the creativity, skill, and labor of every worker involved, and writers’ contributions are an important part of the success of the films, television shows, and other media IATSE members work on. We recognize and support our fellow entertainment workers in their mission to negotiate an agreement that addresses their issues from the AMPTP, an ensemble that includes media-mega corporations collectively worth trillions of dollars.

In response to the AMPTP’s familiar resistance, the writers have taken the step of voting in favor of strike authorization, arming Writers’ Guild leadership with the authority to call a strike if the ongoing talks do not produce necessary results. As their current agreement is set to expire on May 1, 2023, I call on the AMPTP to immediately acknowledge the contributions of these talented and dedicated professionals and negotiate with their unions in good faith.

Should it become apparent a strike is imminent, we are prepared to inform our members of all relevant individual rights and obligations within the context of all existing IATSE-AMPTP agreements.”