WGA West: 16 Candidates Running For Board Of Directors

Dave McNary Film ReporterMembers of the Writers Guild of America West have been urged by staff to not sign COVD-19 liability waivers, which exempt employers from their legal responsibility to provide a safe workplace.The directive was sent to the 10,000 WGA members by the guild staff and asserted, “Your employer is required by law to provide a safe and healthy workplace both in the room and on set.

The Writers Guild of America West is making its position clear on COVID-19 liability waivers. In an email sent to members on Monday, the guild told members unequivocally not to sign these waivers, which exempt employers from liability for an employee contracting COVID-19 or incurring medical bills as a result of work they perform while employed by them.

David Robb Labor EditorThe WGA West told its members today that, as production begins to ramp up amid the coronavirus pandemic, writers should not sign liability waivers exempting employers from their responsibility to provide a safe workplace.“Your employer is required by law to provide a safe and healthy workplace both in the [writers] room and on set,” the guild said in its latest communique to members.

Lebanon’s prime minister has stepped down amid public fury sparked by the Beirut port explosion, saying he has come to the conclusion that corruption in Lebanon is “bigger than the state”.

Andreas Wiseman International EditorMiddle East distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment and the Kuwait National Cinema Company are partnering with Gulf arthouse venue Cinema Akil for the Beirut Disaster Relief Screenings.Ziad Doueiri’s West Beirut and Nadine Labaki’s Where Do We Go Now? will screen today at Cinema Akil with repeat screenings this coming weekend, Friday 14 August and Saturday 15 August.

Greg Evans Associate Editor/Broadway CriticGeorge and Amal Clooney have donated $100,000 to three charitable organizations providing relief for Beirut, where a massive explosion on Tuesday obliterated a city port, injured more than 5,000 people and killed at least 145.According to Unicef, the homes of 100,000 children had been damaged, many to the point of being uninhabitable.“We’re both deeply concerned for the people of Beirut and the devastation they’ve faced in the last few days,” the

George and Amal Clooney have announced that they are making a big donation to help in the relief efforts in Lebanon after over 100 people were killed in a massive explosion in Beirut.

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West are currently on a family retreat to focus on saving their marriage — but that might be hard to do when he’s also running a presidential campaign. 

Jake Kanter International TV EditorA BBC journalist’s Zoom video call captured the dramatic moment that the Lebanese capital of Beirut was rocked by a giant explosion at the city’s port on Tuesday.BBC Arabic journalist Maryam Toumi was conducting an interview from the BBC’s office in Beirut, which is around 1.5 miles from the epicenter of the explosion, which has killed at least 70 people and injured thousands of others.A recording of the call, posted by the BBC News press team, shows Toumi in

Dave McNary Film ReporterLeaders of the Writers Guild of America West have touted the benefits of their campaign to revamp how agencies represent their members.The WGA West board of directors notified their 10,000 members in a message Tuesday evening that a key objective of the agency campaign is timely information from the agencies to assist in enforcement of late pay and free work violations.

David Robb Labor EditorWGA West members earned a record $1.68 billion under the guild’s film and TV contracts for the fiscal year ended March 31 – up 3.1% from the previous year, according to the guild’s latest annual report (read it here). In total, more than 6,300 writers reported employment in all work areas during the year.Screenwriter earnings dipped 0.7% to $493.1 million, though the guild said that this figure is likely to increase with late reporting.