The Writers Guild of America has tapped former presidents David Goodman and Chris Keyser to co-chair the guild’s negotiating committee, leading the fight on what are sure to be difficult bargaining with Hollywood’s major players in the first half of next year.
The WGA‘s master contract covering most film and TV production is set to expire on May 1. With numerous economic issues and concerns about working conditions for middle-class writers, the negotiations are expected to be intense at a time when the TV and film sectors are in the throes of a messy transition to internet-delivered content on an increasingly on-demand basis.
Goodman, a showrunner known for his work with Seth MacFarlane on “Family Guy” and “The Orville,” is revered among WGA membership for successfully waging a three-year campaign against the top talent agencies that allowed the guild to ban the practice of agencies receiving packaging fees for helping to assemble TV series and movies. Goodman served as WGA West president form 2017 to 2021. Keyser, also a seasoned showrunner, led the WGA West from 2011 to 2015.
The WGA West and WGA East link arms across the Mississippi River jurisdictional divide of the unions to jointly negotiate the mega three-year contract that governs the vast majority of mainstream U.S. entertainment industry production. David Young, executive director and lead negotiator for the WGA West, will again serve as lead negotiator for the unions with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Here’s the full list of committee members and officers:
- David A. Goodman, Co-Chair
- Chris Keyser, Co-Chair
- John August
- Angelina Burnett
- Kay Cannon
- Yahlin Chang
- Robb Chavis
- Adam Conover
- Travis Donnelly
- Ashley Gable
- Hallie Haglund
- Eric Haywood
- Eric Heisserer
- Greg Iwinski
- Luvh Rakhe
- Erica Saleh
- Danielle Sanchez-Witzel
- James Schamus
- Tom Schulman
- Mike Schur
- David Shore
- David Simon
- Patric M. Verrone
- Nicole Yorkin
- Michael Winship, WGAE President, Ex-Officio
- Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, WGAE Vice President of Film/TV/Streaming, Ex-Officio
- Christopher Kyle, WGAE Secretary-Treasurer, Ex-Officio
- Meredith Stiehm, WGAW President, Ex-Officio
- Michele Mulroney, WGAW Vice President, Ex-Officio
- Betsy Thomas, WGAW Secretary-Treasurer, Ex-Officio
More to come
