Tens of thousands of flight attendants are set to picket at major airports in the U.S. and U.K. as part of the "Worldwide Flight Attendant Day of Action," aiming to improve compensation and working conditions amid ongoing contract negotiations with carriers such as American, Alaska, United, Southwest, and Frontier Airlines. The pickets, organized by unions representing over 100,000 workers, seek better pay, retirement security, and schedule flexibility, while addressing operational issues and combatting what they perceive as corporate greed.
SAG-AFTRA has canceled plans to picket on Friday in Los Angeles and New York due to potential safety concerns following calls for a "Day of Jihad" by former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal. Law enforcement officials have warned the public to be cautious and have increased patrols, particularly in Jewish and Muslim communities.
Five United Auto Workers (UAW) members were struck by a vehicle while picketing outside a General Motors plant in Michigan. The workers suffered minor injuries, with two taken to the hospital. The incident occurred when an employee attempted to leave the plant by driving through the picket line. The UAW is currently on strike at 38 locations, demanding better contracts with major automakers. President Biden joined striking workers on the picket line, expressing support for their cause. UAW membership has declined over the years, with the current strike aiming to address various demands, including wage increases and improved benefits.
Writers from the Writers Guild of America (WGA) are planning to picket the upcoming season of "Dancing with the Stars" (DWTS) due to the show's decision to continue production amidst the ongoing strike. The writers argue that by appearing on a WGA-covered show with scab writing, the industry will be encouraged to delay making deals. While DWTS is covered under the SAG-AFTRA National Code of Fair Practice for Network Television Broadcasting, some union members believe that the show should stay dark until a resolution is reached to demonstrate solidarity and bring about significant change in the industry.
Drew Barrymore's daytime talk show, "The Drew Barrymore Show," resumed filming its fourth season without its unionized writers, leading to picketers from the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA demonstrating outside the CBS studios in Manhattan. Barrymore defended the decision in an Instagram post, stating that the show would not discuss or promote struck film and television. Other daytime programs have also aired new episodes during the ongoing writers' strike, while late-night shows remain dark. The backlash stems from Barrymore's previous decision to step down as host of the MTV Movie & TV Awards in solidarity with the striking writers.
Writers from the Writers Guild of America are picketing outside the set of "The Drew Barrymore Show" to protest its return amid the ongoing writers strike. Drew Barrymore, the host of the show, announced its comeback on Instagram, stating that she is making the choice to return despite the strike. The Writers Guild of America went on strike in May for fair compensation, pension plans, and health insurance. Barrymore acknowledged the conflict between her decision to step down as host of the MTV Movie & TV Awards in solidarity with the writers and her return to her own show. The show's production company has stated that they will not be performing any writing work covered by the strike.
SAG-AFTRA and the WGA have suspended picketing at multiple locations in Los Angeles due to extreme heat, with picketing canceled in the San Fernando Valley and at Disney and Warner Bros. Picketing will continue as normal in other locations, but will also be suspended on Friday and Monday for Labor Day. This is not the first time picketing has been affected by weather, with last week's empty picket lines due to Hurricane Hilary's landfall. The WGA strike has reached its 119th day, with deep divisions remaining between the studios and the writers.
SAG-AFTRA members are picketing and rallying across the country in support of a fair contract, with 24 out of 25 guild locals participating. The ongoing strike has garnered attention in Los Angeles and New York, but members have also shown solidarity in cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, and Miami. Today's pickets will be held at Amazon Studios and Warner Bros. Studios, with support from the Producers Guild of America. The Producers Guild has expressed its support for SAG-AFTRA in their strike against the studios, companies, and streamers that make up the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Hotel workers picketing outside the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica clashed with security guards, with video footage showing workers being shoved. The workers, represented by Unite HERE Local 11, are part of a larger strike by thousands of hotel employees in the Los Angeles area demanding better pay and benefits. No injuries were reported.
NBCUniversal has partially restored access to the sidewalk in front of its studio lot after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA filed grievances against the company for obstructing their right to picket and compromising their safety. The changes include freshly poured asphalt and removed fencing. The WGA, which had gathered over 26,000 signatures on a petition demanding redress, considers this a half-measure and insists on the completion of a temporary concrete barrier project. NBCUniversal claims to have implemented a plan that increases safe access for picketers, but the WGA intends to hold the company accountable until a fair contract is negotiated. SAG-AFTRA, which had not officially joined the picket, may now feel comfortable doing so.
Hackman Capital Partners, the owner of Radford Studio Center, has relented and allowed picketers from the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA to picket at the front entrance of the studio lot after facing criticism for relegating them to a rear entrance along a busy road with no shade. The unions had threatened legal action and the former chair of the National Labor Relations Board suggested they might have a case. The decision to move the picket line to Radford Avenue came after The Hollywood Reporter published an article highlighting the issue.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA are considering legal action against Radford Studio Center, a Hollywood studio owned by Hackman Capital Partners, for allegedly depriving them of their constitutional right to protest safely and fairly. The unions claim that Hackman has designated certain gates as "neutral" during the ongoing strikes, limiting the picketing area and creating unsafe conditions. The conflict arises as the unions demand explanations from Hackman, while the studio claims to support the unions' right to picket and offers amenities but declines to explain its gate rationale. The unions are investigating legal options to enforce their members' constitutional rights.
Several beloved TV casts, including iCarly, Succession, Scandal, This Is Us, and One Day At A Time, have reunited in support of the SAG-AFTRA strike, picketing together in Los Angeles and New York. Actors such as Jerry Trainor, Nathan Kress, Jon Cryer, Katie Lowes, Chrissy Metz, and Paget Brewster were spotted on the picket lines, creating nostalgic reunions for fans.
The Writers Guild has filed a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board against NBCUniversal, accusing the corporation of obstructing picketing and endangering its members during an ongoing construction project. The union claims that NBCUniversal has refused to provide pedestrian walkways and barriers, resulting in picketers being struck by cars. This comes as SAG-AFTRA, the actors' union, also announced its own strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The NLRB filings focus on the NBCUniversal sidewalk, and the issue has generated public outcry over the pruning of shade trees outside the studio's campus.
As the Hollywood writers' strike continues into its 10th week, most movie and television productions have paused, but Ryan Murphy's "American Horror Story" remains in production, leading to picketing by the Writers Guild of America. Union members had hoped that Murphy, a member of the Writers Guild, would halt production to support their cause, but he has not commented on his decision to continue working. The union is focused on the ongoing work being done on the show and is calling for a fair deal from the major studios. The strike has now entered its third month with no resolution in sight.
