A pair of below the line workers have scheduled a rally for Sept. 27 in hopes of persuading City Hall to get more involved in the ongoing labor dispute.
“Government leaders pay attention! We are gathering to demand change now!,” according to a social media post announcing the rally. “We are demanding help from our government after 5 months of no work. People are losing their pensions, their homes, their health insurance, everything. It’s time to say ENOUGH! Get involved, mediate a fair deal, raise and extend EDD. Hopefully, the talks on this coming Wednesday will be productive and we won’t need to rally. But if they fall apart, like they have every time, we’ll need this rally more than ever. We can not sit around and hope for a resolution anymore, it’s time to take action people’s livelihoods are at stake.”
The rally is planned for City Hall’s south lawn from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s the brainchild of Farah Bunch, a make-up artist, and Katie Baccaro, a production manager.
There’s renewed optimism this week that the WGA and AMPTP can reach a deal now that both parties have agreed to meet tomorrow.
The WGA sent out a note to members confirming the talks: “The WGA and AMPTP now have a confirmed schedule to bargain this week, starting on Wednesday. You might not hear from us in the coming days while we are negotiating, but know that our focus is getting a fair deal for writers as soon as possible. We’ll reach out again when there is something of significance to report. In the meantime, please continue to demonstrate your commitment and unity by coming out to the picket lines – for yourselves and fellow writers, SAG-AFTRA, other unions’ members, and all those in our community who are impacted by the strikes.”
