Writers Guild of America East suspends picketing activity for high heat in New York City

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While the Writers Guild of America’s strike against Hollywood studios continues to simmer, the sweltering heat in New York City this week has caused the guild to cancel any picketing activities on Friday, July 7.

“There will not be any pickets today due to the high heat index,” noted a post on the organization’s website. The heat index — a combination of high temperature and high humidity — hovered in the low 90s in New York City Friday.

At least for now, multiple picket lines are still on schedule for Monday for productions set both in and around the city and in upper Westchester County.

Striking writers from the Writers Guild of America East and West have been protesting since the strike was declared at 3:01 a.m. ET on May 2.

Writers — and actors in solidarity — have been picketing outside production facilities and outdoor sets since.

The strike has caused the largest shutdown in Hollywood production since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and is the largest non-pandemic event to do so since the last WGA strike, which lasted from November 2007 to February 2008.

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