WGA West Accuses Its Staffers of Violence and Intimidation as Strike Hits 10 Weeks
Source: Variety
Apr 28, 2026 3:41pm PT
In a memo to members, the WGA West said the two sides are at an impasse and that its latest offer is final
By Gene Maddaus
The WGA West accused its own staffers on Tuesday of engaging in violence and intimidation on picket lines, and said it would not negotiate further as the staff strike hit 71 days.
In a memo to members, the top officers of the guild said that picketers had called writers “scabs” for crossing a line to negotiate their studio contract, had hit guild staff with picket signs, and even come to the home of Ellen Stutzman, the guild’s executive director.
“Staff union strikers have targeted Ellen, showing up at her home in groups and over multiple days in a row, returning up to five times per day,” the leadership wrote. “Most of these actions are unprotected under federal labor law; some are illegal, and the attempted intimidation of the Guild’s executive director at her home is absolutely unacceptable.”
The Writers Guild Staff Union, representing about 110 employees, went on strike on Feb. 17, demanding just cause for employee discipline, better pay, and protections for seniority. Attempts since then to resolve the strike have been unproductive.
Michael Buckner
Read more: https://variety.com/2026/film/news/wga-west-staff-violence-and-intimidation-strike-impasse-1236732801/