Members
Dear Members,
The WGAW has joined with Teamsters Local 399, SAG-AFTRA, DGA, AFM, California IATSE Council and LIUNA Local 724 in the Entertainment Union Coalition to fight for film and television production in California.
Today is the official launch of the ‘Keep California Rolling’ campaign, coordinated by the Entertainment Union Coalition, to protect, preserve and create jobs in the film and television industry throughout California.
The Entertainment Union Coalition supports Governor Newsom’s inclusion of an expanded $750 million annual California Film & Television Jobs Program in the 2025-2026 budget.
This program is directly tied to the creation of jobs for California workers, strengthens the economic future of California, and supports a healthy and viable motion picture industry by creating jobs where workers live.
The California film and television industry is at a crossroads and the time to act is NOW.
For over a century, California has been the heart of the global film and television industry, supporting hundreds of thousands of middle-class workers and fueling a vast network of local businesses, tourism, and economic growth. However, in recent years, increasing competition from other states and countries has put California’s entertainment workforce at risk.
Expanding California’s Film & Television Jobs Program is essential to ensuring the industry remains a major economic driver. Without this investment, California stands to lose its status as the global entertainment capital, along with thousands of middle-class jobs and billions in economic benefits.
Governor Newsom’s budget proposal is a major step forward, but it’s not a done deal. Expanding the California Film & Television Jobs Program requires legislative approval before the legislative cycle ends this summer. Our focus now is on educating new legislators, budget committee members, and other elected officials to ensure their support. Next week the EUC will kick off our campaign in Sacramento to urge lawmakers to prioritize jobs at a key budget hearing, followed by a lobby day.
How you can get involved:
- Check out and share our 'Keep California Rolling' campaign website to learn more about our fight.
- Head to: www.KeepCaliforniaRolling.org
- Follow WGAW on social media for updates from next week and to elevate our fight.
- Contact the WGAW Political and Legislative Director, Shelagh Wagener, to get involved in the campaign.
- We will be rolling out toolkits and sample messages to share with your elected officials.
In Solidarity,
WGAW Board of Directors
Meredith Stiehm, President
Michele Mulroney, Vice President
Betsy Thomas, Secretary-Treasurer
Scott Alexander
Raphael Bob-Waksberg
Angelina Burnett
Adam Conover
Travis Donnelly
Rob Forman
Ashley Gable
Justin Halpern
Dante W. Harper
Eric Haywood
Deric A. Hughes
Maggie Levin
Molly Nussbaum
Dailyn Rodriguez
John Rogers
Nicole Yorkin