The WGA West appears unwilling to negotiate with its staff union any further.
In a memo to members on Wednesday, WGSU leaders say they tried to accept management’s April 8 offer contingent on a few adjustments. WGA West management refused, “restating that their April 8 proposal is their last, best, and final”, per the WGSU. The staff union bargaining committee will be meeting again Wednesday night to discuss the latest development in this impasse.
Deadline has reached out to the WGA West for comment.
Per the email, the staff union’s bargaining committee asked for parity on the layoff and no-strike provisions in the WGA East staff union’s contract as well as “making longevity increases apply to total years of service, not just service in a particular position, which management had previously indicated a willingness to agree to”.
“Please note: this does not meet the legal standard of a last, best, and final offer. Legally meeting ‘last best and final’ means both parties reach a genuine, good-faith impasse after meaningful bargaining, and clearly understand that further negotiations would be futile,” the WGSU’s memo added.
The note comes one day after WGA West leaders sent a memo to their own members detailing their side of the story. In a lengthy, blistering email, management revealed it had delivered that so-called final offer to the staff and accused some WGSU members of violence and physical intimidation. The WGAW memo does not mention any disciplinary actions against staff for such behavior.
The WGA West also noted that management planned to meet with WGSU leaders on Tuesday night to discuss the offer and “address again why the staff union’s remaining proposals are unworkable.” Clearly, the WGSU’s counterproposal on Wednesday is a response to that discussion, although it appears that the WGAW is done talking.
It’s unclear what might happen at this point. Staff has already proposed mediation with California’s State Mediation and Conciliation Service, though the WGAW has seemingly not engaged with that offer. SMCS mediators recently assisted UTLA and LAUSD in settling their contract.
The WGSU, made up of 116 non-supervisory staff members, called a strike in February. The parties have been negotiating a first contract since September, following the staff’s organization with the Pacific Northwest Staff Union last spring.