John August Named Co-Chair of WGA Negotiating Committee
Attention all screenwriters! John August, known for co-hosting the popular “Scriptnotes” podcast, has been appointed as a co-chair of the negotiating committee for the Writers Guild of America (WGA). Joining him as co-chair is Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, the talented showrunner behind the Netflix series “Survival of the Thickest.”
The upcoming negotiations mark the first time the WGA will be bargaining since the five-month writers strike in 2023. The current deal is set to expire on May 1, 2026.
Ellen Stutzman, the chief negotiator for the writers and executive director of WGA West, will once again lead the negotiations. She will be facing off against Greg Hessinger, the newly appointed president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
August and Sanchez-Witzel have both previously served on the negotiating committee in 2023. Notably, the previous co-chairs, Chris Keyser and David Goodman, will not be part of the committee this time around.
The WGA has announced a list of 29 committee members, including industry veterans such as Mike Schur, Shawn Ryan, and Tom Fontana.
With a significant turnover in the committee, only ten members from the 2023 committee will be participating this time. Michele Mulroney, who previously held the position of vice president of WGA West and was recently elected president, is among the returning members.
One of the key issues on the agenda for the negotiations will be the WGA pension and health plans, which are facing potential financial challenges that need to be addressed.
The 2026 committee members include John August, Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, and a diverse group of industry professionals. The negotiations are expected to be crucial for the future of writers in the entertainment industry.
