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A year to the day after the Writers Guild strike settlement, Ellen Stutzman has been ratified as Executive Director of WGA West in a referendum. The vote was 2,279 “yes” to 72 “no.”

The union also revealed results of its 2024 Board of Directors elections, with eight members being named to two-year terms. They are incumbents Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Deric A. Hughes, Justin Halpern, John Rogers and Travis Donnelly and new electees Melinda Hsu, Chris Hazzard, and Danny Tolli. They beat out 10 other finalists for board seats.

Having served as Wgaw’s chief negotiator during its 148-day strike against the AMPTP, Stutzman was promoted to Executive Director after David Young announced his resignation in November. She was part of numerous Mba negotiations before heading up the Wgaw negotiating committee last year.

Stutzman began her Wgaw tenure as a researcher in January 2006 and rose to become the Research & Public Policy Director. She was promoted to...

The members of the Writers Guild of America West have voted overwhelmingly to approve Ellen Stutzman’s contract as the union’s executive director, a year after she led the union through a historic strike.

Stutzman’s contract was ratified with 97% of the vote, with 2,279 in favor and 72 opposed.

Stutzman was promoted to executive director last November, when the union announced that David Young, its longtime leader, would retire. Young had taken a medical leave earlier that year, leaving Stutzman in place as chief negotiator during the talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Stutzman was paid $680,000 in the last fiscal year, about double her salary when she was assistant executive director.

The union also announced Tuesday that three new members have been elected to the Board of Directors.

Melinda Hsu, who was the showrunner of “Nancy Drew,” was the top vote-getter, with 1,491 votes. Chris Hazzard and...

The Writers Guild of America West ratified the appointment of Ellen Stutzman as its top staffer and re-elected incumbent board members in the latest test of member support of the union’s leadership since the 2023 writers strike.

Member leaders Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Deric Hughes, Justin Halpern, Travis Donnelly and John Rogers — in short, all the incumbents who ran — were re-elected to their board seats in the 2024 election, results released on Tuesday revealed. New members Melinda Hsu, Chris Hazzard and Danny Tolli were also elected in the contest.

Union members additionally supported the board of directors’ appointment of Stutzman as the union’s executive director in November 2023 by a wide margin: 2,279 members, or nearly 97 percent, supported the decision, while 72, or about three percent, voted against it.

Appointed as the chief negotiator for the writers union just weeks before 2023’s contract negotiations began, as the union’s then-executive director suddenly went on medical leave,...

The Writers Guild of America West has unveiled the 18 candidates running for seats on the guild’s board of directors.

The election will be held next month during a voting period that runs Sept. 5-24. Voting materials will be distributed to guild members on Aug. 30.

The candidates are 13 new contenders and five incumbent members seeking two-year terms. As per WGA West’s rules, the listing of the candidates is presented in an order determined by lot.

Courtney Lilly Deric A. Hughes (incumbent) Chris Hazzard Maggie Levin Justin Halpern (incumbent) Ron Rappaport Deborah Pratt Danny Tolli Stefanie Leder Joelle Garfinkel Melinda Hsu Jeffrey Thompson Rich Talarico Raphael Bob-Waksberg (incumbent) Thomas Mignone Travis Donnelly (incumbent) John Rogers (incumbent) Jackie Penn

The guild’s board election will be closely watched for signs of next-generation leaders emerging at the union, which went on strike for 148 days last year. Last year, veteran showrunner Meredith Stiehm...

The Writers Guild of America West unveiled the finalists for its 2024 Board of Directors election on Tuesday.

There are 18 candidates running to fill eight open seats are: Courtney Lilly, Deric A. Hughes (inc.), Chris Hazzard, Maggie Levin, Justin Halpern (inc.), Ron Rappaport, Deborah Pratt, Danny Tolli, Stefanie Leder, Joelle Garfinkel, Melinda Hsu, Jeffrey Thompson, Rich Talarico, Raphael Bob-Waksberg (inc.), Thomas Mignone, Travis Donnelly (inc.), John Rogers (inc.), Jackie Penn.

Only one candidate selected by the Wgaw Nominating Committee did not make it to the final round.

Wgaw members should receive voting materials on August 30, with the voting period from September 5 through September 24 at 12:00 p.m. Pt.

In addition to the candidates selected by the Guild’s Nominating Committee, eligible members may also be nominated by petition. Members seeking nomination for the Board of Directors must obtain 15 member signatures in support of their petitions. The deadline for submitting signed petitions...

The Writers Guild of America West Nominating Committee revealed the candidates for its 2024 board of directors on Friday.

The 19 members vying for eight open seats are: Courtney Lilly, Deric A. Hughes (inc.), Chris Hazzard, Maggie Levin, Justin Halpern (inc.), Ron Rappaport, Deborah Pratt, Danny Tolli, Stefanie Leder, Joelle Garfinkel, Melinda Hsu, Jeffrey Thompson, Juan Carlos Fernandez, Rich Talarico, Raphael Bob-Waksberg (inc.), Thomas Mignone, Travis Donnelly (inc.), John Rogers (inc.), Jackie Penn.

Voting will go through September 24 at 12 p.m. Pt, and members should expect to receive voting materials and information about candidates on August 30.

In addition to the candidates selected by the Guild’s Nominating Committee, eligible members may also be nominated by petition. Members seeking nomination for the Board of Directors must obtain 15 member signatures in support of their petitions. The deadline for submitting signed petitions to the Wgaw is July 23 at 12 p.m. Pt.

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One of the issues at the heart of the WGA strike continues to be mini-rooms and the impact they’ve had — and could continue to have — on television shows. But, as WGA members who spoke with TheWrap note, the rooms have an emotional impact on writers, too.

A mini-room is a practice in which a television creator assembles a writers’ room to create multiple scripts — sometimes even an entire season’s worth — for a show, often before the title has even been greenlit. With these scripts in hand, a network or streamer will make a decision as to whether or not the show is good enough to go on.

In our latest strike roundtable, “Roswell, New Mexico” writer Danny Tolli — speaking alongside Dylan Guerra (“The Other Two”), Elaine Loh (“Gossip Girl...

Angela Harvey had one job at the Think Tank for Inclusion and Equity’s picket at the Disney lot last Friday: to take photos and document the event on social media. “I get here and go to take photos, and I left my phone in the car down on Riverside,” says the TV writer and co-chair of the advocacy organization composed of working television scribes from historically excluded backgrounds.

Katherine Beattie, a member of Ttie’s steering committee and also a Writers Guild of America strike captain, offered to retrieve it for her. “Katherine uses a wheelchair and was like, ‘I’ll be faster.’ So she went and got my phone, and it was really fast!” Harvey laughs. “She could do that because this place is accessible.” (The Disney lot, with its wide sidewalks, is considered one of the most accessible picketing locations.)

Accessibility is one of the core values for Ttie,...

Montserrat Luna-Ballantyne is walking in circles, picket sign raised high, with a scant group outside an NBCUniversal gate on a Thursday morning that is beginning to turn warm. The striking Writers Guild of America member (With Love) comes to NBCUniversal frequently — it’s nearby to where to she lives, and she can take the bus — but this morning is slightly different, less dutiful, than a typical three-hour shift.

As songs like Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me” and Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn” play on a speaker at the gate, Luna-Ballantyne is doing the circuit, from one sidewalk to another, nearby one writer in a Xena: Warrior Princess t-shirt and another in a spaghetti strap dress. She herself is wearing butterfly clips, a choker and earrings shaped like the cartoon cat Luna from Sailor Moon. “I enjoy coming to themed pickets — it mixes it up a little bit,” she says while pausing.

Verve has promoted Melissa Darman to partner.

Darman, who joined Verve in 2014, started her career at ICM before pivoting to the studio system to work in comedy development at ABC Network. She then moved onto Lionsgate before joining Verve, where she has continued to focus on comedy during her time as an agent on the TV literary team.

“Working at Verve continues to be rewarding on a daily basis,” Darman said in a statement. “I could not be more proud to be a part of such a forward-thinking company that cares equally about the well-being and success of both its employees and clients. I’m thrilled to be a part of the leadership that grows and strengthens the company, and our industry, every day.”

With the elevation of Darman, that brings the total number of partners at Verve to 11. Darman joins founders Bryan Besser, Adam Levine and Bill Weinstein, and...

Seventeen candidates are vying for eight open seats on the WGA West’s board of directors, including five incumbents. Voting begins August 21 and ends September 20.

The candidates are Angelina Burnett, Robert H. Wolfe, Rich Talarico, Justin Halpern, Timothy Dowling, Ryan Walls, Van Robichaux, David Schulner, Danny Tolli, John Rogers, Leah Folta, Raphael Bob-Waksberg and incumbents Eric Haywood, Ashley Gable, Deric A. Hughes, Travis Donnelly and E. Nicholas Mariani.

The guild will host a virtual Candidates Night forum on August 31, where members can pose questions to the candidates. Guild members will receive voting materials, including links to candidate, non-candidate, and rebuttal statements on that same date.

The voting period concludes at noon on September 20. Members can vote online or request a paper ballot to vote by mail. Proxy voting is not permitted, the guild said.

The Writers Guild of America West’s Nominating Committee today revealed the 18 candidates who are running in its board of directors election this year.

Those vying for the eight opens seats are Angelina Burnett, Timothy Dowling, Leah Folta, Justin Halpern, Tom O’Connor, Van Robichaux, John Rogers, David Schulner, Rich Talarico, Danny Tolli, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Ryan Walls and Robert H. Wolfe, along with incumbents Travis Donnelly Ashley Gable, Eric Haywood, Deric A. Hughes and E. Nicholas Mariani.

The WGA West will host a virtual Candidates Night forum, where guild members can pose questions to the candidates, on Wednesday, August 31.

In addition to the candidates selected by the guild’s Nominating Committee, eligible members also can be nominated by petition. Members seeking nomination for the board of directors must obtain 15 member signatures in support of their petitions, per guild rules. The deadline for submitting signed petitions to the WGA West is noon Pt Friday,...

Freeform is developing a drama series based on the book “Make Your Home Among Strangers” by Jennine Capó Crucet, Variety has learned exclusively.

The project is described as a cross-generational drama that follows both a Cuban American girl who struggles her freshman year at an elite New England college and the chaotic family she leaves behind in Miami, all set against the backdrop of the explosive Elian Gonzalez trial in the 1990’s. The series explores issues of identity, race, and class in America.

Danny Tolli will write the adaptation in addition to serving as executive producer. Capó Crucet will serve as consulting producer with Jonathan Baruch of StoryBy Entertainment executive producing. Catalina Aguilar Mastretta is attached to direct. Entertainment One is the studio.

Tolli previously wrote for the ABC drama series “The Catch.” He is also the co-chair of the WGA’s Latino Writers Committee

He is repped by Verve,...

Ninety-five members of the Writers Guild of America have signed a letter sent to the guild’s board of directors urging that it divest from gun companies and any companies that support the NRA.

The letter, sent to the Board Tuesday, warns “Gun violence enabled by the ready availability of military grade weapons, has become one of the biggest threats to the safety and security of the American people.” The letter continues, “We urge the WGA and the WGA Pension Plan to divest of all stocks of any gun or ammunition manufacturer, and any company that provides material support to the gun industry lobbying organization called The National Rifle Association, whether through donations, deductions or other means (e.g. Federal Express), until such time as sensible national gun reform legislation is passed.”

It is signed by 95 members of both WGA West and WGA East.

You can read the letter in...