Karen Bass: I Had 'Long Conversations' With AMPTP, WGA Over the Weekend
L.A.'s mayor tells The Ankler that she engaged with Carol Lombardini and Ellen Stutzman: 'My fingers are crossed there might be some light'
It’s been 10 days since Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she was ready to roll up her sleeves and “personally engage” to help mediate the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes, and since then she’s been — to borrow some Hollywood parlance — rolling calls.
“Over the weekend I had long conversations with [AMPTP president] Carol [Lombardini] and [WGA Chief Negotiator] Ellen [Stutzman],” Bass told The Ankler in a phone interview on Monday. “I’ve talked to Fran [Drescher] from SAG and all of the studios and I have been very clear that I’m more than willing to have people come into my office or residency to get things resolved. My role has always been to be in constant communication with all the key players.”
Ever since Bass was elected the 43rd Mayor of L.A. in 2022, solving the city’s housing and homelessness crisis has been the centerpiece of her administration. But a wave of local union activity including the SAG and WGA strike, which dovetailed last week with a 24-hour strike by more than 11,000 L.A. city workers, has thrust Bass into what’s known as the country’s “hot labor summer.”
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“[The WGA/SAG Strike] is obviously already having an effect on our economy but it could potentially have an even more devastating impact,” says Bass. “One of the things Angelenos need to know is that it’s not just SAG or WGA members that are being impacted. This impacts the overall economy. This is a foundational industry for the economy of the city, the region and the entire state of California and the stakes extend so far beyond just the union members.”
Before she became an elected official, Bass worked as a community organizer and physician’s assistant — professions that aren’t exactly synonymous with the entertainment industry. But when Bass was serving as the speaker of the California state legislature, she helped champion California’s Film Production Tax Credits. As a candidate she received support from a slew of industry A-listers like J.J. Abrams, Shonda Rhimes and Norman Lear.
Bass’ involvement also signals that the first dual strike in 63 years is quickly becoming a political liability for her and potentially for California Governor Gavin Newsom. A recent report estimates that the strike has already cost the California economy at least $3 billion so far.
But wading into the negotiations also presents a number of pitfalls for an elected official like Bass who received support from the industry’s creative community — many of whom are now on strike — but also the industry’s executive class (Quibi founder Jeffrey Katzenberg was a key advisor to her campaign).
“You see elected officials on the picket lines and that’s their right or you see elected officials like myself [who aim to remain neutral]. I feel the best way for me to be supportive is to be in a dialogue with everyone and to be ready to convene people when the two sides are ready,” says Bass, whose comments preceded news on Monday night that the AMPTP has offered the WGA an updated proposal. Both parties are set to meet tomorrow to review the writers guild’s response. Says Bass: “My fingers are crossed that there might be some light — maybe I should say some daylight with the industry putting forward a response and putting their proposal on the table and we’ll wait and hear what the WGA comes back with.”