Flavor Flav joined striking writers on Thursday, May 18, with food, drink and a message to “fight the power”.
Rapper Public Enemy visited the Writers Guild of America picket line outside Warner Bros. Studios. in Burbank, Calif., at the same time. Abbott Elementary School designer Quinta Brunson and Ted Lasso designer Jason Sudeikis was there to walk the picket line.
Flavor Flav told KCAL News he joined the writers to “give them some energy.”
The rapper grabbed a megaphone, led the crowd in a series of chants and sang part of Public Enemy’s 1989 political anthem “Fight the Power.”
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“We need to make sure we support and create safe spaces for our black writers, and make sure we give them the pay and protection they deserve” – Actor Kendrick Sampson hit the #WGA picket line at Paramount in Los Angeles on “Black Writers Day” pic.twitter.com/RUolGXQm3S
— Urban Hollywood 411 (@UrbHollywood411) May 11, 2023
The rally took place on the same day that SAG-AFTRA sent out strike authorization bulletins to its members. A vote of approval gives union leaders the power to call a strike if contract negotiations with the studios break down. SAG-AFTRA’s current TV/theater contract expires on June 30.
Sudeikis, a member of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, told KCAL News the unions would be in a better position to negotiate if they joined forces.
“These unions need to consolidate,” he said.
Brunson, who is also in both unions, agreed with the former SNL star.
“I think we have a better chance of getting what we need,” she explained.
The WGA strike began on May 2, after contract negotiations between the WGA and the Alliance of Film and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents studios and streamers, broke down.
WGA calls for industry standards on the number of writers assigned to each show, salary increases, increases in streaming residuals and rules that would limit the use of artificial intelligence in writing projects .
The AMPTP said it presented a “comprehensive proposal” to the guild, which included “generous increases in writers’ compensation”, but the proposal was rejected.
Watch the KCAL News video below:
