Candidate for Council, Film/TV/Streaming Sector
I’m Devin Delliquanti, and I’m running for WGA Council in the Film/Television/Streaming sector. I’ve been a WGA member since 2015 when I was hired as a writer at The Daily Show. Before then, I learned the hard way what it’s like working in television without union protections: 60+ hour weeks with no minimums, no healthcare, and no retirement benefits. I’ve been a Captain since 2019 and proudly served as a Strike Captain during all 148 days of 2023 Strike, from the scorching days in Greenpoint and Silvercup, to the frustration in front of Drew in September, to the euphoria when we learned what we won in our contract. I am proud of how we fought, and what we achieved. And now, I’m running for Council to help us all build on those wins, and protect our union as the industry shifts towards whatever fresh hell the tech CEOs want to unleash upon us.
It’s an extremely difficult time for writers: the shrinking state of TV, the uncontrolled growth of generative AI, and the attacks on organized labor and free speech. It feels very bleak. Now is the time to stand up for the rights of creative professionals. We have seen the collective power we have when our guild mobilizes, so I am running to help us grow the historic gains of our 2023 MBA as we begin negotiations again in 2026, and keep our union, and this industry, strong for the next generation of writers. That also includes growing our digital residuals and securing the stability of our pension and health funds in the upcoming MBA.
Right now, the tech companies are openly admitting that the entire business model of generative AI is built upon stealing copyrighted work and outputting it for their own gain. They even have the audacity to claim in legal filings that “it would be impossible to train today’s leading AI models without using copyrighted materials,” and they are lobbying the US government to allow them to do exactly that. Our livelihoods should not suffer because their business model relies on theft and plagiarism. I applaud the open letter that the WGA sent to the studios in December of 2024 urging them to take legal action against these tech companies. The legal battle of the studios against MidJourney’s “bottomless pit of plagiarism” is just the beginning. We must fight the existential threat this poses to the workers of the entertainment industry using all the tools our union has, including a PR campaign in partnership with impacted artists, lobbying for legislation at the state and federal level, and more strong litigation in partnership with the studios.
The wins of our 2023 strike came from the solidarity of our union, together with our fellow entertainment unions, including SAG, the Teamsters, and IATSE. So many gave us their solidarity in 2023, and we owe it to others in return. Unions are under attack right now: the National Labor Relations Board is gutted at this critical moment for us, and for all of labor. It is vital we maintain and build relationships with other unions across media, government, healthcare, service workers, machine workers, and beyond. Building that solidarity will help us all stand together during moments of crisis. We must also continue to organize digital and podcast writers effectively as the entertainment industry changes, protecting our existing sectors while growing our union’s base.
We all know firsthand that our union is not some abstract idea – it is our retirement, it is our healthcare. It is the healthcare of my children. It is what helps us make a fair living in a career filled with uncertainty, even as the companies we work for make billions. I am asking for your vote, and I promise to help lead in these fights, and represent all of our interests as we move into the 2026 MBA negotiation and beyond.
“Devin Delliquanti is exactly the leadership the guild needs right now. He has been an exemplary captain since 2019, and when I first became a captain in 2023, I constantly looked to and followed his example. He shows up to every initiative with integrity, compassion, diligence and–perks of being a late night writer–the willingness to make even the heaviest loads a little lighter. His experience with the guild and late night perfectly positions him for this moment, where we must protect our comedy variety writers more fiercely than ever. He would be brilliant as a council member and we’d be lucky to have him.”
– Sarah Montana, Feature Writer, WGA Captain/Council since 2023
Responses to Candidate Questions
1. What do you think is the most pressing issue facing the Guild and what steps will you take to address it?
We have all felt the contraction in the entertainment industry these last two years. What’s causing it? The same thing causing the issues in so many parts of the economy – monopolistic behavior, particularly by tech companies. To address this, we must grow our streaming/digital residuals, and strengthen our pension and health funds in the upcoming 2026 MBA negotiation so they stay rock solid, no matter how long this contraction lasts. And second, we must continue to fight for new protections against the generative AI companies, who seek to swallow the creative professions whole. The protections of the 2023 MBA and the pressure we put with our open letter to the studios in late 2024 was a great start, and we must build upon it in the press, in the courts, and in legislative houses across the country.
2. WGAE is divided into three sectors: Film, Television, and Streaming; Broadcast, Cable, and Streaming News, and; Online Media. How will you work with and represent all Guild members, including those outside of your own work sector?
My 10 years writing at The Daily Show have given me valuable experience understanding the diversity of concerns that come from the different WGA sectors. Staffers at The Daily Show come from all backgrounds – including stand-up, journalism, news producing, improv, scripted television, and online media. In addition to our linear TV show, we also work on podcasts, social media videos, and live events with professionals who have worked in all those fields. I am used to collaborating with other sectors and understanding their perspective, and I look forward to doing that on the WGA Council.
3. What qualities or characteristics do you look for in a Guild leader?
A ferocious desire to defend the rights of working people inside an otherwise kind person.
4. What do you think WGAE’s role should be in the broader labor movement?
We learned during our strike that solidarity with other unions is what wins these labor fights for all of us. We must maintain and build relationships with other unions across not just media, but also government, healthcare, service, machine workers, and beyond. Our 2023 strike was an example of how to organize effectively to oppose corporate greed and gain protections against AI. We must be prepared to stand with other unions across the economy as they follow our example.
Endorsements
Micharne Cloughley, Nicole Conlan, Jason Gilbert, Hallie Haglund, Liz Hynes, Dru Johnston, Tom Kemnitz, Jr, Matthew Klinman, Sarah Montana, Celine Robinson, Lanee’ Sanders, Felipe Torres Medina, Kate Villa, Suzanne Weber, Colleen Werthmann, Sophie Zucker
Endorse Devin Delliquanti for Council, Film/TV/Streaming Sector
Note: WGAW members who wish to endorse a candidate may follow the process outlined in section G.1.B of the 2025 Election Policy.
