WGA chief negotiator takes medical go away forward of negotiations

David Young, the veteran chief negotiator of the Writers Guild of America, has been positioned on medical go away simply weeks earlier than important talks with Hollywood studios are set to start.

The union mentioned in an announcement to members Tuesday afternoon that Young, who can be the nationwide government director for WGA West, would get replaced by assistant government Director Ellen Stutzman, who would function lead negotiator for the upcoming bargaining spherical, based on an e mail seen by the Times.

“Ellen has earned the confidence and full support of the WGAW Board, WGAE Council, and the WGA Negotiating Committee,” the union mentioned. “She will lead a staff with decades of experience negotiating and enforcing the MBA, and organizing and mobilizing members to support the Guilds’ contract campaigns.”

A WGA spokesman was not instantly obtainable for remark.

The shock announcement comes at a key second for the WGA, whose management requested members this week to vote on a collection of bargaining targets that may information negotiations set to start March 20.

Studios and producers have been getting ready for a potential strike over writers’ compensation within the age of streaming. Many have accelerated productions in a bid to finish writing earlier than the union’s present three-year contract expires on May 1.

Young — who led the union through the 2007-2008 strike that lasted 100 days — is named a troublesome negotiator who’s extensively revered by the union’s membership. It’s unclear what impact his absence may have on the upcoming negotiatons with studios.

“We know we speak for the entire WGAW and WGAE memberships in wishing David a full recovery,” the union mentioned.

A former director of organizing, Young was tapped for his present function after guild administrators fired former nationwide government director John McLean, a former CBS government, in 2005.

Young has reworked the guild’s tradition from a considerably insular artists group to a extra conventional, activist union targeted on rising its base.