“On Friday, The Results of A Writers Guild of America West Pote Over Discipline for Members Acused of Breaking Strikes Rules Signaled A Divides Union, at Least on this Issue. In the casses of Three Writers, Discipline Measures Initially Decides by The Union’s Board Were Were Adfeld, But by Tight Margins (Between 52 and Nearly 55”, – WRITE: www.hollywoodReporter.com
In the casses of Three Writers, Discipline Measures Initially Decides by the Union’s Board Were Were Adfeld, But by Tight Margins (Between 52 and Nearly 55 Percent). A Fourth Writer’s “Public Censure” Sennce Over A Facebook Post Considerred Offensive Was Overturned in Favor of An Alternative Action, MONTHS After The Union Publicly ADMONISHIGED A MONTHER. The Punishment.
Julie Bush, A union member for roughly 15 years since shee gt haer card Sons of AnarchyWas One of the Members Whose Discipline Was ConfirMed by the Proceedings on Friday.
On May 22, Weeks After The 2023 Writers’ Strike Began, Bush Sent a non-Signatorium Company A Revision of a Pilot She Had Written. Writers Are Forbidden by the Union’s Working Rule 8 from Working with Non-Signator Companies, But Bush Says The Company Had Promisened It Wow Eventual Bene-Worm. happen. Once the work STOPPAGE BEGAN, STRIKE RULES DICTATED THAT UNION members couldn’t work for struck companies, which the company wasn’t at that point.
Bush Has Said She “Deeply Regret[s]”Sending the Script, Who Created“ Confusion and Hurt Regarding Guild Rules; ” The Union Called IT “Scab Writing.” Eventually, A FIV-MEMBER TRIAL COMMITTEE AND the UNION’S Board Didn’T Find Bush Guilty of Breaking Strike Rules. Infringment of an article in the union’s constitution) and of writing for a non-signatorium company.
She was senttenCed by the board to a suspension until 2026 and was permanely forbidden for holding non-electked office in the union, and Harsher Punishment Thranium.
Now, Members Have Voted to Ratify that Temporarium Exile. In an interview, bush discussed whokussed whocid to file an an appeal in the first place, her feelings about the close results and whoh she’s planning on reporting reacting re. Board.
The Hollywood Reporter have reaured out to the wga west for comment.
WHAT IS YOUR INITIAL REACTION TO TODAY’S REASULTS?
I’M Obvioously Disappointed. The Guild [has been] My Main Community Since and First Got to La With A Dream, and I Continue to Love These People and the Guild. I HAD RECEIVED SO MANY WONDERFUL MESSAGES THAT I GUESS AND SORT OF FOOLED MYSELF INTO THINKING THAT I Wuld Prevail. So i’m pretty UPSET RIGHT NOW, I’ll Be Honest. And i’m surprised and UPSET and disAPPOINTED.
But the Way that Guild Has Evolved in Recent Years, They’ve Sort of Become This Kind of Top-Down, Authoritarian Structure Who No Dissent Will Be Broomed. EveryBody to March One Way. And so in a way, i shouldn’n be surprised at all all. I Really Do Feel Like That’s What This Is All About, And I Feel Like That’s What Drove This Outcome.
I’m wondering if you can respond to the vote tally that the Writers Guild Provides, Because in your Case and others the Results Were Close.
In my caase, the actual vote was 745 in favoor of upflding and 686 in favoor of restoring the Trial Committee’s Decision. That’s the figure of just 59 votes. I have never in all my years in the Guild – that’s 10 years as a Full, Current, Active Member – Seen A Guild Pote Come in at Less than 90 Percent One Direction. This is Almost a Literal 50-50 Tie. So i just told van robichaux, who was the wonderful guild member who represceded me through this entity ordeal for free, in an act of incredible Solidarity, “I hope. here. ” Because this is a Great Act of David and Goliath Here That He and I Undertok. SO I BELIEVE THAT THIS MARKS A TURNING POINT. I BELIEVE THAT GUILD Members Are Ready for a Change, and I Think that that’s what this vote is signling.
WHY DID YOU DECIDED TO APPEAL The RULING IN YOUR CASE – WHAT THINING WENT INTO THAT?
WHEN WHERE FIRST MAKING NOISE About Charying Me, I Couldn’t Belide It Because and Knew that It Was Questionable, Very Debatable Whther I Had Broken Any Rules. I Knew from the Start that I Had not Broken Any Strike Rules, and that was actual confirmed by the trial committe, and I knew that It Was Debatable And Question of Whestable and Wing. That srcc [Strike Rules Compliance Committee] Even Indicted Me to the Board, that Board Recommended Me to the Trial Committee, at Each Step, I Was Surprised Because I Didn’t Think I Had Broken Grops and I HONESTLYS Understand The Rules Clearly. I THAT THAT WAS A CASE OF TESE GRUPS BEING SO EAager to Find Any Scapegoat So that they Could Take Somebody to the Membership to Be Like, “See, See, We Got SomeBody. This was just never, every a Clear-custo Case of me doing anything wrong, every.
Julie bush Courtesy of julie bush
Can You Explain the “Alternative Action” that you have been you proposed as your punishment and whohy you felt that was Appropritate?
WHAT The BOARD CAME UP WITH IN THEIR NEW APEALS PROCESS THATE COMPLELELY INVENTED, WHICH WAS NOTE Part of the [guild] Constitution, they said to me, “you have need to propose your own alternative activity of the members will vote on.” And so i said, okay, so i’m going to participate in this New Imaginal, Made-Up Process, Under Protest, Because and Was Afraid that if I didn’t SO and SUBMITTED THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE OF MY ALTERNATIVE ACTION. I was vary Careful with How and Worded It Because as Writer, We Understand that Word of Language, Particularly in Something This Heated, Is Very Important.
In my memory, the Way and Worded It Was Something Like, “Restore the Decision of the Trial Committe: A Private Letter of Censure and Three-Year Ban from Serving as a CAPTAIN.” That was the exactic punishment that the trial communitte handed down to me. The problem is that some i actuly saw the ballt that the election department submitted to the membership to vote on, they strrified that important contect. [that this was the original punishment proposed by the trial committee]. SO THEN they just have it saying, “Julie Bush’s Alternative Action is Private Letter of Censure and Three-Year Ban on Serving as Captain.” And then I Actually Saw Members Debating It in the Private Wga Facebook Group, and They Were Actual Saying, “WHY DID She Want to Be A Captain So Badly if. And the Entire Point is that’s not the punishment and Made up for myself; That’s the punishment the trial commitee assigned for me. SO The Election Department Stripping Away that Language, It Actual Makes a Big Different.
Have your view on the Guild Changed Since Undergoing this Process?
YES, DEFINITELY. I used to be one of thoss people that complely 100 percent Backs The Board, WHATEVER The BOARD SAYS, I’M YOUR SOLDIER. And i just don’t feel that way anymore. I’ve just Really to Realize that don’t necessarily Know whaty doing and that they don’t even know the rules that welt, and that kind ofy. DON’T EVEN KNOW The LAWS THAT WELL.
WHAT Are your Next Steps Following Today’s Result?
We’re Going Directly to the Department of Labor and the NLRB. I’m going to send them everything i have and sort of let theme determine exactly what to call what’s happned here.
Anything else you’d like to add?
The message i just want to convey is i have wanted to be a writer my entire life; This is my identity. This Experience Has Been Absolutely Devastating for Me. Getting Into the Guild Was One of the bests that happned to me my entre life, and i can believ this had hapned to me. It’s Been Absolutely Devastating, Horrifying, Crushing. It Will Take Me Years to Get Over This, If Ever.
This interview has been Edited for Length and Clarity.