Latest news with #WritersGuildofAmericaWest
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WGA discipline process facing referendum in this week's vote
The Writers Guild of America West's discipline process is under scrutiny in a unionwide vote as the head of a union trial described the process as not being 'fair and proper.' Jill Goldsmith, who chaired the five-person trial committee, said despite the board unanimously recommending a suspension for writer Roma Roth for the alleged breaking of strike rules, the union's Board of Directors instead decided to expel her, the Los Angeles Times reports. Roth executive produces 'Sullivan's Crossing,' a Canadian television show broadcast in the U.S. by the CW, and allegedly wrote for the show without a union waiver in place. Nexstar Media Group is the parent company for both KTLA and the CW. Goldsmith said the committee agreed that Roth broke union rules, but she claims union lawyers involved themselves in the discipline process and improperly tipped the scale toward a more severe punishment. 'I believe that before expelling a member and making a decision that can affect their life and livelihood, a proper process needs to be put in place,' Goldsmith wrote. A spokesperson for Roth echoed those concerns. 'The outcome of these appeals will undoubtedly shape the standards by which the board operates moving forward,' the spokesperson said in a statement. 'Members must now decide what kind of system they want in place should they ever have to face a disciplinary hearing—one that is fair and impartial, or one that, as members of the trial committee pointed out, is inconsistent, flawed, and biased.' The Guild told the Times that four members are appealing discipline rulings, and members are voting on those appeals this week. The Hollywood Reporter identified the three other members as Julie Bush, Tim Doyle and Edward Drake. Union member voting ends at 2 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WGA Members Face a ‘Deeply Uncomfortable' Vote to Expel Two of Their Own
Members of the Writers Guild of America West are engaged in unusual vote this week on whether to banish two of their own — Roma Roth and Edward Drake — for allegedly performing 'writing services' during the 2023 strike. The membership is also being asked to uphold disciplinary moves against two others, Julie Bush and Tim Doyle, that fall short of expulsion. The vote will conclude at 2 p.m. on Friday. More from Variety WGA Bars Members From Working on Martin Scorsese-Produced 'Wall of White' Movie From Randall Emmett's Convergence Entertainment WGA Seeks to Discipline Four Writers for Breaking Guild Rules During 2023 Strike Writers Guild Awards Nominations: 'Challengers,' 'Dune 2' and 'Wicked' Among the Nominees In an email to members on Wednesday, WGA Board Member Rob Forman acknowledged that it's an awkward situation. 'I know it's deeply uncomfortable to vote on disciplining other writers, especially during this horrible contraction,' he wrote. But, he urged the membership to 'join me in holding these writers accountable' for breaking guild rules, 'and reject the disciplined members' excuses for hurting the Guild by turning their backs on their fellow writers during the strike.' A vote of this kind is extremely rare. The WGA West expelled a writer, Larry Amoros, in 2013, but he did not appeal, saying he had already resigned. After the 2007-08 WGA strike, Jay Leno was cleared of strike-breaking allegations, while three others were disciplined. Forman said there had not been an appeal of a disciplinary matter in the last couple of decades. There has also been some internal consternation over whether the process has been fair. Doyle is facing a public censure for posting a tasteless joke on Facebook. His attorney has argued that the WGA went beyond its powers by policing his speech on social media. His trial committee — the five volunteer writers tasked with adjudicating rule violations — recommended a lesser, confidential censure along with some equity and inclusion training. The board overruled that recommendation in favor of public discipline. One of the members of the trial committee strongly objected to the process, calling it a 'gross overreach.' Doyle was disciplined under Article X.A. Section 1 of the WGA Constitution, which allows penalties for 'any conduct which is prejudicial to the welfare of the Guild or of unfair dealing with another member of the Guild.' In a 'minority report,' the dissenting trial committee member argued that using that language to censure members' speech would subject everyone to 'the whim of five randomly selected trial committee members.' The member wrote, 'I feel that the Board and guild counsel have chosen to intentionally misrepresent and weaponize provisions of our Constitution in an attempt to send a message and punish a member of the guild.' In three of the four cases before the membership, the WGA board imposed a higher penalty than was recommended by the trial committee. In the fourth case, the trial committee recommended that Roth be expelled for working on 'Sullivan's Crossing' during the strike. But a member of that committee, Jill Goldsmith, refused to sign off on the penalty, saying the process was not 'fair and proper.' Goldsmith agreed that Roma had violated the rules, and said she concurred with the committee's initial recommendation of a five-year suspension. After that recommendation was approved, Goldsmith alleged that a guild lawyer, Laura Raden, informed the committee that no penalty would have an 'impact' on Roth's career. That caused the committee to reconsider and support the stiffer penalty of expulsion, Goldsmith alleged. Goldsmith, a former public defender, argued that the discipline could indeed impact Roth's career, and that the process had been improperly tainted by the representation that it wouldn't. 'I believe that before expelling a member and making a decision that can affect their life and livelihood, a proper process needs to be put in place,' she wrote. 'Systems could be put in place to make sure this doesn't happen again.' Under the WGA Constitution, members may appeal any discipline imposed by the board at the next annual membership meeting. The constitution also provides that the disciplined member, or their attorney, may speak in person at the meeting, and that the outcome will be determined by an in-person vote of the members. The WGA West has not had an annual meeting since April 2019, and does not have one scheduled. So when the appeals were filed, the board adopted a resolution to hold an online vote, rather than an in-person one. Bush, who was given a one-year suspension for submitting a script to a non-signatory company during the strike, has argued that the board cannot unilaterally change its appeal process in midstream. She argues that would entail a change in the constitution, which requires notice and a 2/3 vote of the membership. She has also argued that the online vote exposed her alleged violation to the entire guild and to the general public, rather than limiting it to the members who choose to attend a closed-door meeting. 'Replacing this guaranteed in-person forum with an asynchronous online ballot eliminates the opportunity for live discussion, debate, and transparency, which are fundamental to a fair appealprocess,' she wrote to the board in a demand letter on April 30. The disciplined members were allowed to submit written arguments and replies to the WGA's arguments, which were shared with the entire membership. The WGA counsel has argued that the constitution is subject to interpretation by the board, and that the constitution allows for mail-in or online ballots if a quorum cannot be reached at a membership meeting. The board decided to substitute the online process after deciding that it would be unable to obtain a quorum, which equals 10% of the active membership. Bush has maintained that the failure to adhere to the governance procedures is a potential violation of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act. 'I reserve the right to escalate these issues to the Department of Labor if not resolved in a timely manner,' she wrote. Nicole Yorkin, another board member, sent a message Wednesday to her friends in the guild urging them to deny the appeals. 'Voting is now open (until Friday) on the Guild's strike-related disciplinary actions,' she wrote. 'Please vote to uphold the WGA's Board of Directors' decisions in these matters and encourage your WGA member friends to do the same!' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WGA discipline process facing referendum in this week's vote
The Writers Guild of America West's discipline process is under scrutiny in a unionwide vote as the head of a union trial described the process as not being 'fair and proper.' Jill Goldsmith, who chaired the five-person trial committee, said despite the board unanimously recommending a suspension for writer Roma Roth for the alleged breaking of strike rules, the union's Board of Directors instead decided to expel her, the Los Angeles Times reports. Roth executive produces 'Sullivan's Crossing,' a Canadian television show broadcast in the U.S. by the CW, and allegedly wrote for the show without a union waiver in place. Nexstar Media Group is the parent company for both KTLA and the CW. Goldsmith said the committee agreed that Roth broke union rules, but she claims union lawyers involved themselves in the discipline process and improperly tipped the scale toward a more severe punishment. 'I believe that before expelling a member and making a decision that can affect their life and livelihood, a proper process needs to be put in place,' Goldsmith wrote. A spokesperson for Roth echoed those concerns. 'The outcome of these appeals will undoubtedly shape the standards by which the board operates moving forward,' the spokesperson said in a statement. 'Members must now decide what kind of system they want in place should they ever have to face a disciplinary hearing—one that is fair and impartial, or one that, as members of the trial committee pointed out, is inconsistent, flawed, and biased.' The Guild told the Times that four members are appealing discipline rulings, and members are voting on those appeals this week. The Hollywood Reporter identified the three other members as Julie Bush, Tim Doyle and Edward Drake. Union member voting ends at 2 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Accused strike violator was subject to a 'flawed' and 'improper' discipline process, WGA trial chair says
A chair of a trial committee of the Writers Guild of America West has called out the union's handling of disciplinary proceedings against one member accused of flouting the union's rules during the 2023 strike. In a four-page letter , Jill Goldsmith, a former public defender from Cook County, conveyed profound concerns over the process behind the board's decision to expel one writer, saying it was not 'fair and proper,' according to a copy of the letter reviewed by The Times. "I agreed to serve my Guild as a Trial Committee member, when I was assured of fairness in the process,' Goldsmith wrote, adding that 'If we are to impose the most extreme punishment of expulsion, the process cannot be the flawed one that occurred.' In her Feb. 24 letter to the WGAW board, Goldsmith said that the board had repudiated the unanimous findings of the trial committee, and questioned whether the committee's impartial legal counsel unfairly influenced the proceeding's outcome. As such, she wrote that she 'must respectfully withdraw, because "I believe something happened during the process that was improper.' Read more: Writers' strike: What happened, how it ended and its impact on Hollywood Goldsmith's name was redacted from a copy of the letter viewed by the Times. However, a person with knowledge of the proceedings who was not authorized to comment publicly confirmed that it was written by the trial committee chair who was identified in documents as Goldsmith, a guild member and who is credited with having written for such shows as 'Boston Legal' and 'Ally McBeal.' Goldsmith declined to comment on the letter. The Writers Guild of America West also declined to comment on the specific claims of the letter, but in a statement the union said that four members have appealed their discipline to the membership, who will vote on the matter this week. "This is an internal union matter and WGAW members can view relevant documents on the members-only section of the Guild's website," the statement said. "The Board of Directors is the only body involved in the process that is elected by the membership and the WGAW Constitution gives it the responsibility for determining the level of discipline when a member is found guilty by a trial committee." Goldsmith oversaw the trial of Roma Roth, an executive producer on the CW series 'Sullivan's Crossing' and 'Virgin River' on Netflix, according to proceeding documents. The board expelled Roth for allegedly writing during the strike for a non-signatory company. In her letter to the board, Goldsmith said that while she agreed that Roth had 'crossed the line from producing to writing,' a violation of the guild's strike rules, she objected to the process that led to the recommendation for her expulsion, after the committee had originally proposed Roth be given a five year suspension. Read more: WGA bans writers from joining Martin Scorsese, Randall Emmett film project According to her letter, prior to their deliberations, the committee asked the committee's legal advisor for "clarity" on the the possible punishments that could be meted out. Specifically, the committee asked to be provided with a slate of those punishments given to writers in the past — anonymously — in order to 'assess proportionality and fairness in how punishments were addressed,' only to be told the committee was 'not allowed to know that information,' she wrote. According to her appeal statement to the WGAW, a copy of which was viewed by The Times, Roth said she was found was "not guilty" of violating strike rules and "did not work for a struck company," adding that 'Sullivan's Crossing' was an independently financed Canadian series. She called her expulsion 'excessive and disproportionate.' 'The Board found me guilty of violating Article X of the Constitution, Working Rule 8 ('WR8'), i.e. working without a waiver. A violation that according to the Working Rules should be subject to a fine, NOT expulsion,' wrote Roth, a member of the WGA and the Writers Guild of Canada. In her appeal documents, Roth called her disciplinary hearing 'unfair' and 'improper,' and outlined numerous instances that she says demonstrate violations of due process. Roth cast doubt on the materials the guild submitted, including a partially obscured photo of the writer's room that was provided as 'evidence' that she was violating the rules about working during a strike. She said the room included her identical twin sister who was one of several Writers Guild Canada writers enlisted to work on the show. Goldsmith's letter echoed some of the assertions made by other disciplined writers, whose punishments range from public censure to suspensions to prohibitions from acting as volunteer captains; with the most drastic being expulsion. They have appealed the decisions. Julie Bush, a consulting producer on AppleTV+'s 'Manhunt,' is among those seeking to overturn her disciplinary action. The board suspended Bush from the guild until 2026 and she was barred from holding 'non-elected guild office' after being found guilty of violating Working Rule 8 and writing for a non-signatory company during the strike. The trial committee had recommended that she be prohibited from serving as a guild captain for three years and censured privately. Bush, who said she is a staunch union supporter, called the proceedings a 'kangaroo court,' particularly as the information she said that was used against her was based on information she provided a guild attorney while seeking assistance. 'If this were a real court, it would be like if your defense lawyer takes off their defense lawyer hat and puts on his prosecutor hat and says 'surprise, we got you' with all this confidential information that you just turned over,' Bush told The Times. 'My particular case is a nuanced matter of contract law," she added. "It should never have been brought to trial, much less, this big humiliation in the press. I cannot believe that we've gotten to this point.' Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
06-05-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Accused strike violator was subject to a 'flawed' and 'improper' discipline process, WGA trial chair says
A chair of a trial committee of the Writers Guild of America West has called out the union's handling of disciplinary proceedings against one member accused of flouting the union's rules during the 2023 strike. In a four-page letter , Jill Goldsmith, a former public defender from Cook County, conveyed profound concerns over the process behind the board's decision to expel one writer, saying it was not 'fair and proper,' according to a copy of the letter reviewed by The Times. 'I agreed to serve my Guild as a Trial Committee member, when I was assured of fairness in the process,' Goldsmith wrote, adding that 'If we are to impose the most extreme punishment of expulsion, the process cannot be the flawed one that occurred.' In her Feb. 24 letter to the WGAW board, Goldsmith said that the board had repudiated the unanimous findings of the trial committee, and questioned whether the committee's impartial legal counsel unfairly influenced the proceeding's outcome. As such, she wrote that she 'must respectfully withdraw, because 'I believe something happened during the process that was improper.' Goldsmith's name was redacted from a copy of the letter viewed by the Times. However, a person with knowledge of the proceedings who was not authorized to comment publicly confirmed that it was written by the trial committee chair who was identified in documents as Goldsmith, a guild member and who is credited with having written for such shows as 'Boston Legal' and 'Ally McBeal.' Goldsmith declined to comment on the letter. The Writers Guild of America West also declined to comment on the specific claims of the letter, but in a statement the union said that four members have appealed their discipline to the membership, who will vote on the matter this week. 'This is an internal union matter and WGAW members can view relevant documents on the members-only section of the Guild's website,' the statement said. 'The Board of Directors is the only body involved in the process that is elected by the membership and the WGAW Constitution gives it the responsibility for determining the level of discipline when a member is found guilty by a trial committee.' Goldsmith oversaw the trial of Roma Roth, an executive producer on the CW series 'Sullivan's Crossing' and 'Virgin River' on Netflix, according to proceeding documents. The board expelled Roth for allegedly writing during the strike for a non-signatory company. In her letter to the board, Goldsmith said that while she agreed that Roth had 'crossed the line from producing to writing,' a violation of the guild's strike rules, she objected to the process that led to the recommendation for her expulsion, after the committee had originally proposed Roth be given a five year suspension. According to her letter, prior to their deliberations, the committee asked the committee's legal advisor for 'clarity' on the the possible punishments that could be meted out. Specifically, the committee asked to be provided with a slate of those punishments given to writers in the past — anonymously — in order to 'assess proportionality and fairness in how punishments were addressed,' only to be told the committee was 'not allowed to know that information,' she wrote. According to her appeal statement to the WGAW, a copy of which was viewed by The Times, Roth said she was found was 'not guilty' of violating strike rules and 'did not work for a struck company,' adding that 'Sullivan's Crossing' was an independently financed Canadian series. She called her expulsion 'excessive and disproportionate.' 'The Board found me guilty of violating Article X of the Constitution, Working Rule 8 ('WR8'), i.e. working without a waiver. A violation that according to the Working Rules should be subject to a fine, NOT expulsion,' wrote Roth, a member of the WGA and the Writers Guild of Canada. In her appeal documents, Roth called her disciplinary hearing 'unfair' and 'improper,' and outlined numerous instances that she says demonstrate violations of due process. Roth cast doubt on the materials the guild submitted, including a partially obscured photo of the writer's room that was provided as 'evidence' that she was violating the rules about working during a strike. She said the room included her identical twin sister who was one of several Writers Guild Canada writers enlisted to work on the show. Goldsmith's letter echoed some of the assertions made by other disciplined writers, whose punishments range from public censure to suspensions to prohibitions from acting as volunteer captains; with the most drastic being expulsion. They have appealed the decisions. Julie Bush, a consulting producer on AppleTV+'s 'Manhunt,' is among those seeking to overturn her disciplinary action. The board suspended Bush from the guild until 2026 and she was barred from holding 'non-elected guild office' after being found guilty of violating Working Rule 8 and writing for a non-signatory company during the strike. The trial committee had recommended that she be prohibited from serving as a guild captain for three years and censured privately. Bush, who said she is a staunch union supporter, called the proceedings a 'kangaroo court,' particularly as the information she said that was used against her was based on information she provided a guild attorney while seeking assistance. 'If this were a real court, it would be like if your defense lawyer takes off their defense lawyer hat and puts on his prosecutor hat and says 'surprise, we got you' with all this confidential information that you just turned over,' Bush told The Times. 'My particular case is a nuanced matter of contract law,' she added. 'It should never have been brought to trial, much less, this big humiliation in the press. I cannot believe that we've gotten to this point.'
