The ceremony was held in the midst of the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. Because the acting community steadfastly had supported the writers during this period, the WGA granted a waiver on December 11, 2007, to SAG for the awards show, allowing members to attend without having to cross picket lines. While talk of the strike was kept to a minimum, Julie Christie openly acknowledged it in her acceptance speech, commenting, "It's lovely to receive an award from your own union, especially at a time when we're being so forcefully reminded how important unions are." In her acceptance speech, Tina Fey thanked the Screen Actors Guild for its support of the WGA.
