WGA returns vets to board
Eleven out of 18 incumbents win slots
The votes, tabulated following annual membership meetings in Los Angeles and New York, returned incumbents Charles D. Holland, Dennis Feldman, Brenda Lilly and Carl Gottlieb to membership on the WGA West board along with former board members David W. Rintels and Callie Khouri and first-time members Ron Bass and Bryce Zabel. Rintels is also a former WGAW prexy.
Incumbents Jim Staahl and Tim O'Donnell lost their bids for re-election to the 16-member WGAW board.
The WGAW election saw about 24% of members vote, with 2,022 ballots cast for a total of 19 candidates. Number of votes was up sharply from the 1,595 cast last year but down from 1998's total of 2,417.
For the WGA East, voters backed incumbents Rafael Yglesias, Walter Bernstein, Charlie Rubin, Pete Hamill and Edward Adler to two-year terms on the WGAE Council as "freelance" members along with former council member Michael Winship. Adler is a fomer WGAE prexy.
Adrian (Andy) Meppen and Kate Miller were re-elected to two-year terms as staff members of the WGAE council along with first-time council reps Burl Britt and Kathleen Biggins. There were 17 candidates for the WGAE freelance slots and nine for the staff spots.
The WGAE, which has about 4,000 members, did not disclose its vote total.
The branches jointly negotiate the WGA contract with studios and producers and have recently indicated that they oppose fast-track bargaining. The current pact expires May 1.
