WGA Staff Authorizes a Strike, Accuses Guild Leaders of Bargaining in Bad Faith

The staff of the Writers Guild of America West has voted to authorize a strike, just weeks before the union is due to sit down with the major studios.

The union staffers, who organized last spring, have been demanding better wages and job protections in their first contract. Negotiations with WGA West management have been underway intermittently since September, with the last session held on Jan. 17.

During a break in talks, the Writers Guild Staff Union staged a picket outside WGA West headquarters, demanding “just cause” employee discipline and a “fair deal.”

The staffers — represented by the Pacific Northwest Staff…