In her most forceful comments to date about the Hollywood strikes, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass called Friday on the unions and studios to reach a deal “immediately” to get the industry back to work.
Bass, who has largely remained on the sidelines thus far, said she is willing to get personally involved to help bring the strikes to an end.
“It is critical that this gets resolved immediately so that Los Angeles gets back on track and I stand ready to personally engage with all the stakeholders in any way possible to help get this done,” Bass said.
Bass made the comments on Friday as representatives of the Writers Guild of America were meeting with the head of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for the first time since the writers strike began on May 1.
Ellen Stutzman, the chief negotiator, and Tony Segall, the WGA general counsel, were seen entering the AMPTP building in Sherman Oaks just before 1 p.m. The two sides are seeking to determine whether negotiations can resume.
Bass was elected last year with significant entertainment industry support.
In her statement, she called the meeting between the AMPTP and the WGA an “encouraging development.”
She also emphasized the economic damage of the dual strikes, saying “this historic moment continues to have profoundly negative impacts on our economy and many of our community members.”
SAG-AFTRA declared a strike on July 13, and there has been no sign of a resumption of talks with the actors.
The strikes mark the first time since 1960 that both actors and writers have been on the picket lines.
“This important inflection point for our city’s signature industry has caused ripple effects throughout our economy as well as that of the state and the country,” she said. “The impact has spanned every corner of Los Angeles — from the writers and actors on the picket line trying to make ends meet to keep a roof over their head and food on the table, to businesses who rely on the entertainment industry.”
As in the past, Bass was careful not to take sides in the dispute, though she said the resolution must be “fair and equitable.”
“The economic conditions of the entertainment industry are changing — and we must react and evolve to this challenge,” she said.
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