AWG Supports WGA East Action Against ITV

26 October, 2011

In the U.S. fighting for the rights of Australian writers at the International Affiliation of Writers' Guilds (IAWG) AGM, AWG President Jan Sardi and Executive Director Jacqueline Woodman also supported a Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) campaign against ITV Studios.

The WGAE are demanding that ITV Studios, who produces scripted reality television such as Four Weddings, give its American employees the same rights as their British writers who are unionised. In a vote the American ITV employees elected the WGAE as their representatives, however ITV are refusing to honour that vote. The IAWG passed a resolution  calling on ITV Studios and its U.S. subsidiary to recognise the WGA East as the bargaining representative and to negotiate in good faith.

On Friday the WGAE protested outside ITV Studio's New York Offices and were joined by Jan and Jacqueline as well as representatives from Writers Guild of Great Britain, Irish Writers Guild, Scriptwriters Guild of Israel, Societe des auteurs de radio, television et cinema (Sartec), the Quebec guild, Writers Guild of America, West, La Guilde (French Writers Guild) and New Zealand Writers Guild.

For more on this action see these articles in Variety and Deadline.com

Jacqueline Woodman flies the flag for Australia while protesting with the WGAE at ITV Studios NY offices