The Writers Guild of America, West building in Los Angeles. Michael Buckner/PMC Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment The Writers Guild of America has unveiled the staff and union members who will be leading the group into battle with studios and streamers during its first negotiations since its 2023 strike. Again leading bargaining for the union will be Ellen Stutzman, the WGA West executive director who helmed the talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers amid a 148-day strike in 2023. Stutzman, thrust into the chief negotiator role that year after longtime leader David Young took a sudden medical leave of absence, ultimately was credited with helping the union secure its first AI protections and a bonus for successful streaming programs. Related Stories Business Cinematographers Guild Shutters Nearly Century-Old Magazine Business As Condé Nast Folds Teen Vogue Into Vogue's Website, NewsGuild Condemns the Plan At her side will be two veterans of union negotiations. The Scriptnotes podcast co-host and Aladdin and Big Fish screenwriter John August will serve as co-chair of the 2026 negotiating committee alongside Survival of the Thickest creator and writer-producer Danielle Sanchez-Witzel. Both August and Sanchez-Witzel served on the 2023 committee for the union. Rounding out the 2026 negotiating committee is a mix of members from the union's East and West Coast branches. That list includes Ali Barthwell, Yahlin Chang, Stan Chervin, Larry J. Cohen, Josh Gondelman, Phil Hay, Eric Haywood, Chris Hazzard, Melissa London Hilfers, Christopher Kyle, Molly Nussbaum, Luvh Rakhe, Shawn Ryan, Betsy Thomas, Danny Tolli, Erica Saleh, Mike Schur, Cat Vasko, Ben Watkins, Kat Wood and Lisa Zwerling. Also taking part will be the top leaders of the union's two branches. WGA West president Michele Mulroney, vice president Travis Donnelly and secretary-treasurer Peter Murrieta are on the committee; so too are WGA East president Tom Fontana, vice president of film, television and streaming Michael Rauch and secretary-treasurer Sasha Stewart. The WGA has not yet publicized its bargaining priorities but is expected to prioritize securing its challenged health plan and establishing further protections against AI in the 2026 talks. The issue of writers doing unpaid work, a problem that has been exacerbated by companies' extra-cautious approach to greenlighting projects in recent years, is also projected to make an appearance. For those reading the tea leaves about the level of combativeness that next year's talks could bring, some members of the strike-era leadership are back in 2026. Out of 30 negotiating committee members set for next year, a little under a dozen also served in 2023, including Stutzman. Still, the industry climate is markedly different now than it was in 2023. Writers have been hit hard by the industry contraction, with the union's own reports finding that television writing jobs fell 42 percent in the 2023-2024 season compared with a year prior and the number of writers reporting earnings dropped 9.4 percent in 2024 compared to 2023. Also shaking things up could be the changing of the guard at the AMPTP. Earlier this year Greg Hessinger succeeded longtime AMPTP leader Carol Lombardini, taking over her role as a unifier of studios and streamers so they can present a united front in negotiations. As a former national executive director for both the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (before the two merged to form SAG-AFTRA), Hessinger has a background on both the union and the management sides of the bargaining table. Time will tell how much that history will impact the tenor of next year's contract talks. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Apple An Ad Tier for Apple TV? The Tech Giant Buying Warner Bros.? Don't Bet On It, Eddy Cue Says THR, Esq CBS and Sony Settle Legal Fight Over 'Jeopardy!,' 'Wheel of Fortune' Distribution Representation Influencers Matt & Abby Sign With Currents Management (Exclusive) YouTube TV Disney-YouTube Blackout Set to Continue Through Weekend The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon AMC Networks Posts U.S. Ad Revenue Drop of 17 Percent, 10.4M Streaming Subs international Comcast's Sky in Talks to Acquire U.K. TV Giant ITV's Media Unit in Deal Valuing It at $2.1 Billion Apple An Ad Tier for Apple TV? The Tech Giant Buying Warner Bros.? Don't Bet On It, Eddy Cue Says THR, Esq CBS and Sony Settle Legal Fight Over 'Jeopardy!,' 'Wheel of Fortune' Distribution Representation Influencers Matt & Abby Sign With Currents Management (Exclusive) YouTube TV Disney-YouTube Blackout Set to Continue Through Weekend The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon AMC Networks Posts U.S. Ad Revenue Drop of 17 Percent, 10.4M Streaming Subs