Writers Guild West Strike Discipline Largely Upheld in Close Member Vote

Did the Writers Guild of America West Board of Directors Go Too Far in Discipline Members that Allegedly Broke the Rules of ITS 2023 Strike? Or DID it Approprrialy Respond to Actions that Threated the Union and Its Members?

Union Members AnsWired that Question with a mixed response on thursday in a vote that upld Thursday Thursday Thursday Thursday Out of Four Punishments. Discipline Was Adfeld After Very Tight Results in the Case of Julie Bush (745 to 686), Edward Drake (769 to 652) and Roma Roth (778 to 639). Doyle’s Punishment Was Overturned and An Alternative Action Taken After Members Voted 915 to 557.

Out of Seven Writers Disciplined for Allegedly Breaking the Wga’s Strike Rules, Bush, Drake, Doyle and Roth Had All Chosen to Appeal Their Punishments. The Punishments Handed Down to the Three Other Disciplined Writers Remains Unknown.

The Board of the Labor Organization Had Previously Expelled Two of the Writers-Drake and Roth-While Suspening Bush Until 2026 and Banning Her from Occupying. Doyle Was Publicly Censured for Posting An Image on Social Media Considired Racist.

The vote Concludes a Highly Charged Period for the Famously Hard-Charging Guild. In their Appeals materials, the accounts Called Into Question of the Methods Practiced by the Union to Police ITS OWN and RAISED CARGES THAT The GUILD HAD VIOLATED ITEORD, EVEN CONSTITTUIT.

But The Union’s Member Leaders Have Maintained that Meded Out Approprate Punishments. In the Last Few Days, Board Members Nicole Yorkin and Rob Forman have encouraged union members to uppart the Body’s Rulings, with Forman Saying The Board “Acited Fairly.”

In his message, forman Called for writers to “reject the Discipline Members’ Excusses for Hurting The Guild by Turning Their Backs on Their Fellow Writers Durying The Strike.”

WGA Team CAPTAIN TYLER RUGGgeri in a Separate Email To The WGA Members for WHM HE IS A RESURCE ALSO ENCOURED THEM TO UPHOLD The BOARD’S INITIAL Discipline. “TheSe Measures Might Seem Dificult or Uncomfortable to Pote on, But The Bottom Line is that Members Were Found in Violation and Are Exercising Their Right to An Appaal,” HE SAID, “HE SAID,” HE SAID, ”HE SAID,” HE SAID, HE SAID, HE SAID, HE SAID, HE SAID, HE SAID, HE SAID. Business.

Unions Can Determine the Specials of How they Want Conduct Internal Discipline ProCedures, Within Limit. The Landrum Griffin Act, ALSO KNOWN As the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, Requires Unions in Discipline Proceedings to Provide Members Writhten, Specialary to assemble their defense and a “full and fair hearing.”

Meanwhile, A Series of US SUPREME CURT DECISIONS HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT, Under the National Labor Relations Act, An Individual Union “Has The Power to Protect of Against of Against. Members Who Violate Rules and Regulations Governing Membership, ”Says Fordham School of Law Professor James Brudney, Who Specializes in Labor and Employment LAW. That remains True for Discipline of A Member Who Violated a ru Against Working Dringing A Strike.

In thesee sorts of situations, unions offen Walk a Fine Line Between Attempting not to alienate their Own Members with Punishments that Could be perceived as over. If Enough Members Break Strike Rules or Cross Picket Lines, The Union’s Leverage with Employers to Negotate and Enforce Contracts Wound Be Sevely Eroded.

Generally, Unions “Shouldn’t, and They Typically Don’t, Go Wild, But They Have A Lot of Latitude,” Says University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Schoool of Labor Robert bruno. “KEEP IN Mind, The Union’s A Private Organization. It’s Not A Government Entity.”

Over the Course of the Appeals Process, Arguments that the Union Had Taken Liberties with this Process Came to the Fore. A Letter Written by the Chair of An Internal Trial Committe in Roth’s Case Emerged, Alleging That A Guild Attorney Had InapRAPRAITELY TIPPED THE SCALES OF THAT GROUPE. That chair, Former Public Defender Jill Goldsmith, Removed Herself from The Committee.

A minority opinion in Doyle’s Case, Written by Annamed Member of His Trial Committe, Also Became Public. ITS Writer Claiimed That WGA West Board and a Union Lawyer Had “Chosen to In Information Misrepresent and Weaponize Provisions of Our Constitution in An Attempht to Send a MESSAGE.

And bush raised the Issue of the WGA West Board Recently Changing ITS PROCESS FOR Discipline Appeals. In a letter to the WGA West Board Posted April 30, Bush Called for A General Membership Meeting, Whole The Union’s Constitution Designated As a Forum for Appeals. In February, The Union’s Board Adapted New Rules for Appeals ALLOWING for an online vote. “I reserve the right to escalate thee issues to the department of Labor if not resolved in a timely manner,” Bush wrote.

In a response, Writers Guild West General Counsel Sean Graham Denied Her Request and Said the Board Had Adapted the New Procedures As A Practical Matter. “The Board Concluded that It Wuld be Ineffective to Hold and Annual Membership Meeting to Resolve the Appeals Due to the Inability to Achiev a Quorum, WHICH IS DEFINED ASCTIV. (Approximately 1,100 Members). ” At the Last Membership Meeting, in 2019, HE SAID, FEWER THAN 30 members attached, SO the online vote of allowed for more members to be abthicipate.

Documents Were Released to Members About the Proceedings Before The Appeals Vote Commenced On May 6, Shining A Light on An Onthen Private Process Prevenly Undergone by Major Figures.

The Timing of the Vote is Significant, Considering that the Writers Guild of America is about a year Away from returning to the bargaining Table with Major Studios and Streamers. The Union Will Be Looking to Keep Members Activated, Engaged and United In Order to Present A Strong Front to Employers in 2026.