The Directors Guild of America has been busy preparing for the 2023 contract negotiations. They have named the co-chairs of their negotiating committee.
On Friday, the DGA appointed as committee heads union veterans Jon Avnet and Karen Gaviola. The DGA’s current contract expires on June 30, 2023. Lesli Linka Glatter, the newly elected DGA president, has made these appointments.
“We don’t yet know when our next negotiations will take place, but we are looking ahead as we carefully examine the creative and economic issues faced by our members working in film and television,”Glatter. “Jon and Todd did such a tremendous job co-chairing in our last round – and as a veteran of many past negotiating committees, Karen is just the right person to round out this stellar team. We are so fortunate to have the benefit of their wisdom and many years of experience to spearhead this process.”
The entire negotiating committee will soon be appointed.
The DGA’s Friday afternoon news came as industry insiders are anxiously awaiting news on the next moves in IATSE’s contract negotiations. About 60,000 key crew members from 13 West Coast locals could be involved in a work stoppage soon if the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers can’t come to terms on a deal. The IATSE began conducting a strike authorization voting among eligible members on Friday, which is a sign how far apart both sides are.
IATSE and the union have been absent from negotiating tables since mid-September. IATSE announced that the results of Monday’s strike authorization vote would be available at 11 a.m. PT. It’s expected that IATSE and AMPTP would make one last effort at negotiations following the authorization vote.
(Pictured by Jon Avnet and Karen Gaviola, Todd Holland