The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers responded to the decision by the Writers Guild of America, West and East to move toward a likely strike by asking the guild to reconsider its last offer and resume negotiations.
In the letter sent on Thursday following votes by the boards of both guild branches to ask members to authorize a strike, AMPTP President Carol Lombardini asked the executive directors of the WGA West and East, David Young and Lowell Peterson, respectively, to “return to the bargaining table,” after the guild broke off negotiations late last week.
The guild’s contract is set to expire on May 1, and the two sides remain far apart on a deal.
The full text of the letter is below:
Gentlemen:
On behalf of the AMPTP Companies, I invite the Writers Guild of America, West, Inc. and the Writers Guild of America, East, Inc. (“the Guild”) to return to the bargaining table. We await your response to the Producers’ Comprehensive Package Proposal submitted to the Guild Bargaining Committee last Thursday, shortly after which the Guild told us that it had no response to that package and would be taking a strike authorization vote.
Please contact me to schedule a day and time when the Guild Bargaining Committee is available to meet again.
Best regards,
Carol A. Lombardini.