WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA, EAST - 2020 COUNCIL ELECTIONS

WGAE 2020 RESULTS

THANK YOU to everyone who supported my candidacy for re-election. I am grateful to serve another term.

The Writers Guild of America, East, AFL-CIO (WGAE) is a labor union representing thousands of members who write content for motion pictures, television, news and digital media. The Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members; conducts programs, seminars and events on issues of interest to writers; and presents writers’ views to various bodies of government.

endorsements:

“Working with Monica on the WGAE Council has been a source of insight and delight both. Our union is the better for her commitment to collective bargaining and every other issue that confronts organized labor today. Please give her back to us for another term.”

– David Simon

“I've seen Monica stand behind the journalists in our industry firsthand. She's always been supportive of our concerns on Council, and willing to work with anyone to make things happen. Having her on Council has been a benefit for all of the media workers in the WGAE.”

– Hamilton Nolan

"As a long-serving Council member, I’ve repeatedly seen how important it is for our Council to be represented by members from all different backgrounds. That's why I’m supporting Monica Lee Bellais for re-election to the WGAE Council. Along with being a career-long advocate for women in the entertainment industry, Monica's pre-writer background, working in high-level production and development, gives her --and us-- a unique insider perspective on the industry. One that is invaluable in the WGA’s ongoing mission to secure the best deals for writers."
– Bonnie Datt

“Vote for Monica Lee Bellais.

She's smart. She's committed. She listens.

Monica is exactly the kind of leader the Writers Guild East needs. A writer who has worked in multiple genres.

A woman with great contacts throughout the news and entertainment worlds as well the political matrix of Washington.

And by the way, she's a very nice person.

It's been my privilege to serve with her on the WGAE Council.”

– Gail Lee

“WGAE members should know the importance of Monica Lee Bellais’ work for us in Washington, D.C. The essential work of the entertainment industry guilds would not be effective without a forceful presence on Capitol Hill. Monica is that presence for us. I can personally attest, as an artist born in Hong Kong and raised in New York City's Chinatown, to her commitment to our shared core principle of inclusivity. Monica was the first to warmly welcome me into the circle of members here in Washington when I first joined the WGAE. It is with great pleasure that I enthusiastically endorse Monica Lee Bellais to my fellow members for re-election to our Council!”

– Michael Justin Lee

I appreciate your consideration and request your vote as we continue to work for the betterment of our union. In solidarity – Monica Lee Bellais

2020 CANDIDATE STATEMENT

Writers Guild of America, East - 2020 Council Elections

CANDIDATE STATEMENT

MONICA LEE BELLAIS

2020 Candidate for Re-election

Grateful to be Endorsed by:

Lisa Takeuchi Cullen * Bonnie Datt * Ashley Feinberg * Josh Gondelman * David Hauslein * Megan Holley * Dru Johnston * Kim Kelly * Christopher Kyle * Gail Lee * Michael Justin Lee * Kathy McGee * Claudia Myers * Hamilton Nolan * Jan Oxenberg * Phil Pilato * Courtney Simon * David Simon * Amy Sohn * Kelly Stout * Michael Winship

Thank you for the honor of serving as your Council member.

My extensive entertainment industry experience has afforded me many opportunities to advocate for diversity and inclusion. I am a skilled communicator and have navigated crisis situations with strategy and grace.

The principles of fair pay, honesty, and accountability form the foundation of my candidacy for re-election.

The Coronavirus pandemic is a challenging time for us all, affecting our lives in ways that none of us thought possible. Now more than ever, writers are focused on their health and livelihood. In response, the WGAE staff and Council are working in unison with state government requirements, government agencies, and other industry unions to ensure our members’ safety to establish production guidelines. Council also responded and condemned the arrests and mistreatment of journalists covering the country’s protests that erupted following the murder of George Floyd.

I am proud of how WGAE members support each other, working toward common goals, which is an excellent reflection of our unity. The success of the 2020 MBA will strengthen our position for the 2023 negotiations. The agency negotiations are on track, and we are making substantial progress for writers. Each achievement drives for a powerful union.

I am a Team Captain. I have served on Health Fund Trustee Review and Appointment Committee, lobbied Capitol Hill for Arts Advocacy, and Chaired two WGAE Washington, D.C. events, including a joint event at the Motion Picture Association.

I believe in empowering writers and asking for your vote for a second term. There is still so much more work to do as we navigate the fluidity of the pandemic and an industry that is quickly adapting to the changing world.

My continued priorities:

★ AGENCIES. I will continue to advance the freelance writers’ interests as we push forward with our fight for fair representation, fair compensation, and fair recognition.

★ COVID-19. I will continue to ensure writers have employment opportunities in an evolving industry and expand writing opportunities with the new production safety standards as the industry adapts to global health and workplace challenges.

★ EQUITY & INCLUSION. I will continue to promote diverse voices and push for significant employment opportunities.

★ PRESERVE UNION RIGHTS. I will continue to advance efforts to empower the collective bargaining of our members.

★ PROTECT JOURNALISTS. I will continue to work to safeguard print, broadcast, and digital journalists from those who threaten their role in preserving democracy.

My experience/leadership:

I am a writer, producer, and professor. I have worked in development at James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment; in the Office of Jeffrey Katzenberg at DreamWorks; Warner Bros. Records; Discovery Communications; Smithsonian Networks; Public Broadcasting Service; and TeleProductions International. I have extensive international production experience in Canada, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, Monaco, Pakistan, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates.

For ten years, I have held leadership positions with Women in Film & Video (WIFV) in Washington, D.C. I am in my sixth year as an appointed Advisory Committee member and served for four years as an elected Board member. I founded Spotlight on Screenwriters, a four-year publication under the WIFV banner that was sponsored by Washington, D.C.’s Office of Cable Television, Film, Music & Entertainment, the Maryland Film Office, and the Virginia Film Office.

I have advocated for women in the arts and lobbied Capitol Hill on behalf of WIFV and WGAE.

I have also worked to advance mental health issues, expand opportunities to veterans, and promote investigative journalism. In 2019, I partnered with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention and the Entertainment Industry Council to create the White Paper “Recommendations for Depicting Suicide” in television, journalism, and digital media. I assisted veterans transitioning from the military to the entertainment industry through my volunteer efforts with the Veterans in Media & Entertainment organization.

I am a professor of film production and writing at George Mason University. I hold a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications from New Mexico State University.

My professional memberships include the Writers Guild of America, East, Producers Guild of America, SAG-AFTRA, National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences –Documentary Programming Peer Group, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, New York Women in Film and Television, Women in Film & Video, and The National Press Club.

I appreciate your consideration and request your vote as we continue to work for the betterment of our union.

In solidarity – Monica Lee Bellais