Phyllis Nagy has joined the race for president of the WGA West just hours before the deadline. The Oscar-nominated writer of Carol, who’s opposed to the guild’s handling of its 101-day standoff with the talent agencies, is running on a slate that includes Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin, who’s running for vice president, and Nick Jones Jr., who running for secretary-treasurer. Nagy will be running against WGA West president David A. Goodman and independent candidate William Schmidt. Mazin already is running for WGAW board member.
“It’s now official,” she said on a site popular with dissidents within the guild. “I’ve entered the WGAW election for president. The decision was not taken lightly, and a symphony of writers have been working tirelessly to make this happen on behalf of all officer and board candidates. Alongside me as officer candidates are Craig Mazin – vice president – and Nick Jones, Jr. – secretary/treasurer. We all believe that the resolution of the AMBA action may well determine the fate of writing as a viable career choice, particularly for the most vulnerable members of our community – and that, above all, a measured, calm, respected, reasonable – and yes – negotiated – path will get writers back to work with their chosen reps in advance of the crucial AMPTP negotiations next year.”
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“We’ll do this,” she wrote, “without demonizing the current leadership; they brought important issues concerning agency abuse out into the light. But as the action stretches on, it has become clear to many of us that there is no plan to resolve. That’s why we’re running, and my plan is to listen to writers – TV writers, feature writers, all of us – to come up with the best way forward. For all of us.”
Nagy, who started a GoFundMe page for writers who have lost their health insurance during the standoff, also wrote the Emmy-nominated Mrs. Harris. In May, she co-authored a letter to WGA West executive director David Young urging him to return to the bargaining table with the ATA to resume negotiations for a new Artists’ Managers Basic Agreement.
Read The Letter: Writers Implore WGA Leaders To Return To Bargaining Table With Agents
in June, Nagy initiated a petition to WGA Officers, Board and Negotiating Committee signed by 20 prominent writers, which requested transparency from the leadership on the WGA’s endgame and suggested that leaders with conflicted interests should step aside. It triggered an email exchange between Nagy and Young, touching on key points of the current standoff between the guild and the major talent agencies.
Mazin, creator of HBO’s Emmy-nominated hit miniseries Chernobyl, is a former board member who’s been outspoken in his opposition to the guild’s leadership during the standoff with the agencies. Jones’ credits include Casual and Cold: Choices.
Candidates seeking to run by petition, as they are, have until noon PT Tuesday to file with the guild.
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