Candidate for Council, Film/TV/Streaming Sector (i)
Hello WGAE Members,
My name is Josh Gondelman, and I’m usually a comedy writer, but you probably recognize me from walking beside many of you for hundreds of miles in small circles in front of and around various New York City buildings. This summer has been exhausting for sure. And, on account of the AMPTP’s stubbornness, at times it’s been frustrating as well. But, thanks to the solidarity of our members, it’s been an inspiring summer too. Standing side by side with old friends and colleagues as well as writers I’d never met before, day after day, I bore witness to your resolve, listened to your unique challenges, and became both more determined and better equipped to represent you on Council through the successful end of this ongoing strike and beyond! (If you know me in person, you will be astonished that the previous exclamation point is the only one I will use through the entirety of this statement.)
Through my four years on Council so far, I’ve been a part of our union’s leadership as we underwent some significant changes together. As a Guild, we amended our constitution to accommodate an influx of new members across all sectors, and we successfully ended the unfair practice of agencies enriching themselves through packaging while inadequately advocating for their clients. These changes were no small matter, and they helped lay the foundation for a stable and prosperous future for the WGAE and its members.
If reelected, I will strive to continue leading with both ambition and steadiness. The ambition to rise to the challenges we face, no matter how daunting, and the steadiness to do so in a manner that accomplishes these goals as smoothly as possible for our members. Ideally we’d keep the emails from the Guild to a manageable number too. I will continue to take on the issue of the free development work that is so often unfairly foisted upon our members. I will continue to encourage new organizing across all sectors of our union, from nonfiction workplaces to digital newsrooms to animation. I will continue to support initiatives (such as the recent Comedy/Variety Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Pledge) to make our writers’ rooms more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. And I will continue to be a voice on Council for the comedy/variety writers who are such an important part of our union (while still, of course, being an advocate for our membership in its entirety).
My commitment to working on behalf of all corners of the WGAE has only been heightened by months of picketing alongside so many dedicated and resolute members, and it’s reflected in my endorsements from a wide swath of WGA members.
It would be an honor to continue to serve the Writers Guild of America East membership as a Council member for another term. Thank you for reading (or, heck, even skimming) what I have to say. I will see you on the picket lines until we get a fair deal, and I hope to continue working on your behalf well into the future.
In solidarity,
Josh Gondelman
Endorsements so far: Chiara Atik, Tim Barnes, Neena Beber, Nick Bernardone, Emmy Blotnick, Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, Eric Cunningham, Bonnie Datt, Anna Drezen, Mike Drucker, Alex English, Claire Friedman, Sudi Green, Tian Jun Gu, Dan Gurewitch, Jenny Hagel, Jenny Han, Liz Hynes, Greg Iwinski, Rachel Saya Jacobson, Dru Johnston, Daniel Kibblesmith, Christopher Kyle, Alex O’Keefe, Michael Pielocik, Kat Radley, Erica Saleh, Meredith Scardino, Mike Scollins, Sasha Stewart, Jill Twiss, Seena Vali, Kate Villa, Julia Young
Online media member endorsements: Kim Kelly, Hamilton Nolan, Kelly Stout
* (i) denotes incumbent
