NABET-CWA Stands in Solidarity with Striking SAG-AFTRA and WGA Members
The National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians - Communications Workers of America (NABET-CWA) stands in strong solidarity with the 160,000 members of SAG-AFTRA who joined the nearly 12,000 members of the Writers Guild of America who are out on strike fighting for fair contracts and a better future.
This historic action marks the first time in 63 years that both unions have engaged in a simultaneous work stoppage. The WGA strike began 77 days ago, on May 2nd, while our sisters and brothers at SAG-AFTRA ceased rendering services and stopped performing work on July 14th.
The SAG-AFTRA work stoppage applies to actors and performers working under the union’s film and TV contract with companies that belong to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) – which include NBCUniversal, ABC/Disney, FOX, Paramount/CBS, Sony, Warner Brothers, Apple, Discovery (HBO), Amazon/MGM and Netflix.
One motto of NABET-CWA is "We Make TV Happen," but we know that a substantial volume of television, movie, and digital streaming program content would not, could not, happen without the incredibly talented, hard-working members of SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America. As such, we pledge our unwavering support to these fights for meaningful wage increases, improved working conditions, health and retirement security, and job stability - especially in the areas of streaming, OTT programming, and the new frontiers of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
We recognize that this strike has put SAG-AFTRA and the WGA on the frontlines of the fight for the dignity of all workers in our industry. We enthusiastically commend the efforts to limit the use of AI, and we hope that a victory in these labor disputes will provide a model for jobs and workers to be respected in other industries as this technology is rolled out. Such a win wouldn't only benefit SAG-AFTRA and WGA members; it would be a victory for the entire global labor movement!
NABET-CWA stands shoulder-to-shoulder with our brave siblings at SAG-AFTRA and the WGA as we commit to providing the support and solidarity required for them to achieve a strong victory.
Victory to SAG-AFTRA! Victory to the WGA! When we fight -- we win!
For more information on these strikes:
SAG-AFTRA: http://sagaftra.org/files/sa_documents/SAG-AFTRA_Negotiations_Status_7_13_23.pdf
WGA: https://www.wgacontract2023.org/updates
NABET-CWA Local 11 Special Election - Executive Board Unit #1