President Joe Biden on Monday released a statement applauding the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for reaching a tentative deal Sunday night, 146 days after the writers began striking.
“I applaud the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for reaching a tentative agreement that will allow writers to return to the important work of telling the stories of our nation, our world — and of all of us,” he said. “This agreement, including assurances related to artificial intelligence, did not come easily. But its formation is a testament to the power of collective bargaining. There simply is no substitute for employers and employees coming together to negotiate in good faith toward an agreement that makes a business stronger and secures the pay, benefits and dignity that workers deserve. I urge all employers to remember that all workers — including writers, actors and autoworkers — deserve a fair share of the value their labor helped create.”
Biden has been an active presence in the ongoing Hollywood strikes. In May, he hosted a screening of the Disney+ series American Born Chinese at the White House, with both the production team and Disney executives in attendance.
“This is an iconic, meaningful American industry, and we need the writers and all the workers and everyone involved to tell the stories of our nation, the stories of all of us,” he told the attendees, adding that he hoped for a speedy resolution.
And in June, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre canceled a planned appearance on The View (a WGA-covered show), “out of respect” for the striking writers.
The Biden administration has also been active in the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. Javier Ramirez and Jimmy Valentine, mediators from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, had been involved in meetings with both parties and were helping to try and bridge divides between them. Ramirez is Biden’s choice to lead the FMCS.
That being said, Biden also has a personal connection to the studio side of the business, with numerous top executives (including Netflix’s Ted Sarandos and Disney’s Dana Walden) serving as bundlers for his campaign, and his former domestic policy chief Susan Rice recently rejoining Netflix’s board of directors.
But Biden was not the only public official who has weighed in. California Gov. Gavin Newsom also released his own statement on Sunday night.
“California’s entertainment industry would not be what is today without our world class writers. For over 100 days, 11,000 writers went on strike over existential threats to their careers and livelihoods — expressing real concerns over the stress and anxiety workers are feeling,” Newsom said. “I am grateful that the two sides have come together to reach an agreement that benefits all parties involved, and can put a major piece of California’s economy back to work.”
And New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also praised the two groups for reaching a tentative deal.
“I am pleased to see that the WGA and AMPTP have reached a tentative agreement to end the writers’ strike,” Hochul said. “For months, negotiations brought the film industry to a halt, impacting hundreds of small businesses, film projects and thousands of workers all across New York State. As the talks progressed, I was proud to stand with workers on the picket line and meet last week with MPA studio executives to urge them to reach a timely agreement. New York’s film industry is the backbone of our economy, creating more than 50,000 direct and indirect jobs each year and generating at least $35 billion in investment over the past decade, and as the SAG-AFTRA strike continues, I hope that all of the parties can move quickly toward final agreements that get New Yorkers and businesses back to work.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also released a statement.
“After a nearly five-month long strike, I am grateful that the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have reached a fair agreement and I’m hopeful that the same can happen soon with the Screen Actors Guild,” she said. “This historic strike impacted so many across Los Angeles and across the nation. Now, we must focus on getting the entertainment industry, and all the small businesses that depend on it, back on their feet and stronger than ever before.”
