Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass weighed in again on the writers and actors strikes that have shut down much of production in the region, telling the sides that she stands “ready to personally engage” to reach a resolution.
Bass said that today’s scheduled meeting between reps for the WGA and AMPTP was “an encouraging development especially as this historic moment continues to have profoundly negative impacts on our economy and many of our community members.”
Bass has not taken sides in the walkout, a contrast to other Democrats who have walked the picket lines. She had previously helped mediate an end to a strike of service workers at the Los Angeles Unified School District.
She said in statement, “This important inflection point for our city’s signature industry has caused ripple effects throughout our economy as well as that of the state and the country. The impact has spanned every corner of Los Angeles — from the writers and actors on the picket line trying to make ends meet to keep a roof over their head and food on the table, to businesses who rely on the entertainment industry. The economic conditions of the entertainment industry are changing — and we must react and evolve to this challenge. It is critical that this gets resolved immediately so that Los Angeles gets back on track and I stand ready to personally engage with all the stakeholders in any way possible to help get this done.”
Governor Gavin Newsom also has offered to help resolve the strikes if he is asked, while he has avoided taking public positions favoring either side.
The meeting between WGA Chief Negotiator Ellen Stutzman and AMPTP boss Carol Lombardini, announced earlier this week, is not a restart of talks but has been billed as potentially setting a framework for new negotiations. Still, both sides engaged in a bit of heated rhetoric on Thursday in advance of the sitdown.
Content Source: deadline.com