The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors made a bold move on Tuesday. They voted to send a letter to the major studios, urging them to return to the bargaining table with striking actors. This decision comes on the 85th day of the Writers Guild strike and Day 10 of the SAG-AFTRA strikes against members of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
But this isn’t the first time the board has shown support for the entertainment industry. They previously approved a similar motion to support writers during the WGA strike. Supervisor Lindsey Horvath expressed her thoughts on the matter, stating, “The people who power Los Angeles are on strike and deserve a fair deal. Instead of returning to the negotiating table, the (AMPTP) strategy is to inflict pain, causing people to lose their housing and livelihoods, with the futures of small businesses also on the line.”
Supervisor Horvath, along with Supervisor Hilda Solis, introduced the motion to urge the AMPTP to come back to the negotiating table and end the strike by reaching a reasonable agreement with the 160,000-member actors union. Additionally, Supervisor Horvath and Supervisor Kathryn Barger proposed a second motion to explore programs and services that can support small businesses affected by the strikes. They also want to assess the economic impact on the employees and contractors who serve the entertainment industry.
Small businesses have been hit hard by the strike, and Supervisor Barger acknowledged this, saying, “The entertainment industry strike is having a ripple effect on many mom-and-pop businesses that, through no fault of their own, are having a tough time making ends meet due to an unexpected loss of clients and revenue. The pandemic taught us that county resources can be mobilized to effectively help small business owners. This is another opportunity for our county to think outside of the box and determine how we can help the small business community.”
To further support industry workers and businesses affected by the strikes, the county’s Department of Economic Opportunity will be hosting a webinar. This will provide valuable information and resources to those impacted. The board is committed to finding solutions and helping the entertainment industry and its workers during this challenging time.
