Yahoo News Lowell Peterson Steps Down as Writers Guild East Executive Director
One day after the Writers Guild of America ratified its 2023 strike-ending contract, Lowell Peterson has announced that he is stepping down from the post of WGA East executive director.
“I am proud of my work to transform the WGAE into a more powerful force for writers,” Peterson said in a statement on Tuesday. “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate with such extraordinary leaders, members, and staff. Their activism, creativity, and diligence have been essential to our success.” Peterson will leave his post after his deal expires on Nov. 15, following 15 years of leadership at the union.
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The guild’s director of contract enforcement and credits, Geoff Betts, will lead on an interim basis as the labor group searches for a new executive director. Variety was the first to report the news.
Starting in 2008, Peterson headed up the union at a time when it aggressively pursued organizing efforts in digital media, podcasts and nonfiction television production companies. He also helped guide the labor group through the implementation of major structural changes in 2022 that addressed how enthusiastic organizing had changed the composition of the union, leaving some traditional film, TV and broadcast news members feeling that the union was overextended. That year, the WGA East council created an organizing committee and increased the budget earmarked for such efforts to “aggressively grow the Guild equitably across all sectors.” Members also approved a recommendation to create vice president positions to govern three work sectors: film/TV/streaming, broadcast/cable/streaming news and online media.
In its announcement of the news that Peterson would be leaving the guild, the WGA East also noted that, during his tenure, the union’s membership doubled and that Peterson led the eastern branch of the guild during the 148-day writers’ strike this year. On Monday 99 percent of voting members ratified the pact that brought an end to the work stoppage.
“We thank Lowell for his years of service to the Writers Guild of America East and his dedication to the cause of organized labor,” WGA East president Lisa Takeuchi Cullen said in a statement. “Lowell came to our union at a transformational time. Over his tenure, he helped facilitate significant changes in the Guild’s membership and agenda. We wish him all success going forward.”
Peterson will be departing at a time of an overall leadership transition at the eastern branch of the union. Previous WGA East president Michael Winship stepped down after declining to run for re-election in September, with Takeuchi Cullen securing the position in his absence. The latest council elections for the labor group saw the re-election of many incumbents and two new members in the film/TV/streaming sector, Sofia Alvarez and Sarah Montana.
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