NEW YORK, Dec. 13 – Following the announcement today by the Directors Guild of America stating their intentions regarding upcoming negotiations with the AMPTP, Thomas C. Short, International President of IATSE issued the following statement:

“IATSE fully supports the Directors Guild’s desire to try and get the industry working again by announcing that they will consider entering their own negotiations after the beginning of the New Year. The DGA has chosen to do something very difficult and I am sure those who don’t want the strike to end will attack them for it. But while sound bites may make good press copy, they are no substitute for the kind of good faith bargaining it will take to end this strike.

“To the crewmembers – the thousands of editors, cinematographers, set designers, costumers, art directors, grips and so many others that IATSE represents — the Writers’ strike is not a party. Every day that the current labor stoppage continues, it wreaks havoc on the lives of about one- half of the IATSE’s over 110,000 members, their families and others who are part of our industry. Work is being shut down and IATSE members and so many others are now faced with the reality of losing their homes, their savings and their livelihoods.

“I said this was the likely outcome of the WGA approach months ago. The WGA and the AMPTP must now get down to business and hammer out a fair deal. Our hope is that the DGA’s announcement will spur them to do just that. If it turns out they can’t, then for the sake of all the working people in our industry, the DGA deserves a chance to bring its voice of reason to the table.”