For 148 days, from May 2 to September 27, 2023, the over 10,000 members of the Writers Guild of America engaged in the longest strike action they had taken since 1988. What was at stake, and what did the writers want? How did the Guild prepare, negotiate, choose to strike, keep up solidarity -- and ultimately go on to win an exceptional contract?
Meredith Stiehm, President of the Writers Guild of America-West, will discuss these questions and more, touching on the realities of life as a creative professional and labor leader in Hollywood, as well as the most pressing issues facing the entertainment industry today, from AI to streaming services.
**This is a "flipped Ath" event, in conjunction with the Open Academy: the reception will be held at 5:30 PM as usual, followed directly by the public presentation at 6:00 PM. Dinner (and conversation!) will follow at 6:45 PM, and then Q&A at 7:30 PM.**
Meredith Stiehm is an Emmy award-winning television producer and writer, and is currently serving her third year as President of the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW). Before that, she served on the WGAW Board of Directors for six years. She has been a member of the Writers Guild since 1994.
Meredith created the television dramas Cold Case and The Bridge. She was also a writer/producer on Homeland, ER, and NYPD Blue. She has written pilots for HBO, Showtime, Amazon, and various other networks. She holds a degree in English and playwriting from the University of Pennsylvania.
