Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Urges Sides To Resolve WGA Strike; Senate Candidates Adam Schiff And Katie Porter Back Writers

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass took no sides in her first statement since the start of the Writers Guild of America strike, instead focusing on a resolution.

In a statement, Bass said, “Los Angeles relies on a strong entertainment industry that is the envy of the world while putting Angelenos to work in good, middle class jobs. I encourage all sides to come together around an agreement that protects our signature industry and the families it supports.”

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Bass has been a strong supporter of labor, but she also campaigned on her role in politics as a consensus builder. She helped mediate an end to the LAUSD teachers strike earlier this year. When she was in Congress, Bass’ district included the studio and industry employee heavy Culver City area.

The strike does present an early challenge for her tenure, as a protracted work stoppage has the potential for a devastating impact to the region’s economy.

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The AMPTP estimated that WGA writers and IATSE union members lost $342.8 million in wages in the 2007-2008 work stoppage. The New York Times reported that the overall hit to the Los Angeles economy was $2.1 billion, including an $830 million bite out of statewide retail sales as entertainment workers trimmed spending.

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Two candidates for U.S. Senate, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), each sided with the WGA.

The White House, meanwhile, has declined to weigh in on the strike specifically.

In a statement, Schiff said, “The WGA fight for better pay and wage protections in the era of streaming content is vital to ensuring the livelihood of those who make the entertainment industry such a creative powerhouse. I stand with those striking and urge both sides to swiftly come to a deal that supports good worker salaries and keeps our favorite TV and movie productions afloat.”

RELATED: What Went Wrong? Writers & Studios Reveal What They Couldn’t (And Could) Agree On As Strike Is Set

Porter wrote on Twitter, “All workers should be compensated fairly, including in a changing economy. I join the chorus of Americans supporting WGAWest and WGAEast and urge both sides to come to a swift agreement that honors the hard work and dedication of writers. #WGAStrong.”

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday, “You’ve heard us say many times before, we don’t speak to an ongoing strike, but more broadly … President Biden is a strong supporter of workers’ rights to strike.”

RELATED: WGA Strike: Stars, Writers, Showrunners & Their Supporters On The Picket Line: Photo Gallery

The last WGA strike in 2007-08 took place in the midst of a a heated contest for the Democratic presidential nomination, and all three leading candidates Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards explicitly backed the writers. Edwards even joined picket lines outside of NBC’s studios in Burbank.

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