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Striking writers will picket Warner Bros. Discovery CEO at BU commencement
A Boston University spokesperson confirmed that BU's commencement plans have not changed, despite heavy criticism over the choice of speaker.
As Boston University doubles down on plans to have the head of Warner Bros. Discovery speak at its commencement, the Writers Guild of America has announced that striking union members will picket at the ceremony.
The university’s choice of Warner Bros. Discovery President and CEO David Zaslav generated controversy last week, as Zaslav’s role with the media giant — as well as his $246.6 million paycheck — have become rallying points during the ongoing writers’ strike.
The Writers Guild of America, East previously warned the university to expect picketing at Zaslav’s address. Now, the guild is making good on that promise, confirming in a Thursday statement that its members will protest during the May 21 commencement at Nickerson Field.
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Despite the heavy criticism, a Boston University spokesperson confirmed to Boston.com Friday that BU has not changed its commencement plans. The spokesperson did not address requests for comment about the backlash or WGA’s plans to picket.
In a previous statement, the Writers Guild said its members are on strike because media companies — including Warner Bros. Discovery — “refused to guarantee any level of weekly employment in episodic television, attempted to pivot late night writers to a day rate, stonewalled on free work on script revisions for screenwriters, and refused to even discuss our proposal on the existential threat AI poses to all writers.”
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The union added: “Boston University should not give voice to someone who wants to destroy their students’ ability to build a career in the film and television industry.”
Zaslav addressed the strike during an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” last week, saying “everybody deserves to be paid fairly,” according to Variety.
“So our number one focus is, let’s try and get this resolved,” Zaslav said. “Let’s do it in a way that the writers feel that they’re valued, which they are, and they’re compensated fairly. And then off we go. Let’s tell great stories together.”
Tell us: What shows are you watching that are affected by the strike?
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