After 15 years of no significant strikes, the entertainment industry suffered a rough blow from movies and TV shows protesting, causing many productions to stop. The strike adds to the challenges facing an industry that has already been struggling because of the pandemic and technological changes.
What Are the Unions Doing Now?
The writers’ unions voted unanimously to strike after their contracts with Hollywood companies expired. The main issue is the union’s proposal to require businesses to staff TV shows with a certain number of writers for a specific time, which the studios opposed.
While studios offered “generous compensation increases,” the unions say the companies have created a “gig economy” within the writing profession. Negotiations are ongoing, but the writers began walking picket lines last Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
What Is the Ongoing Dispute?
The conflict involves 11,500 screenwriters opposing big studios like Universal and Paramount and new players in the entertainment industry like Apple, Amazon, and Netflix. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has emphasized that the rise of streaming services and increased television production have negatively impacted their working conditions. The group also views it as a critical moment that could determine the future of writing as a profession.
On the other hand, entertainment companies have previously stated that they prioritize the industry’s long-term health and stability. However, as network and cable television viewership declines, they face a rapidly changing business.
What Are the Effects of This Strike?
The writers’ strike could immediately affect talk and sketch shows like “Saturday Night Live” and “The Tonight Show,” with reality shows and international shows taking their place. However, it would take a prolonged strike before a slowdown in the arrival of new TV shows and films.
A prolonged shutdown can also harm local economies and workers supporting production. For instance, the last writers’ strike in 2007 cost the Los Angeles economy an estimated $2.1 billion. Moreover, late-night show host Seth Myers supported the writers’ demands and acknowledged the strike’s impact on non-writing staff.
What Grievances Did the Writers Raise?
Television writers seek better compensation because their pay has stagnated despite the sharp rise in scripted TV shows. They also want to put significant guardrails around using artificial intelligence (AI) in TV writing. In the network TV era, writers could work on shows with more than 20 episodes per season. However, in the streaming era, episode orders declined to eight or 12, leading to a slight decline in weekly pay for writer-producers.
What Are Unions Doing Now?
The WGA is negotiating with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to address low pay and lack of benefits for television writers. They also want to fix the formula for residual payments and aim at mini rooms, small groups of writers who work on a show before getting a green light, which some writers feel has disrupted the art of learning how to make a television show.
What Do Studio Executives Have to Say About the Issue?
Studio executives are hesitant to give significant raises because of the financial challenges media companies face, which have been trying to turn their money-losing streaming services into profit engines.
The fallout has resulted in layoffs and cost-saving measures. While executives claim they can weather a strike, the consequences would still be significant.
How Often Did Screenwriters Protest?
Screenwriters are now protesting for better pay and working conditions, and most union-represented writers have authorized a strike. They have a lengthy history of prolonged strikes, having walked out six times over the decades. We can now see demonstrations with picket signs in New York and Los Angeles.
Writers Fight Back Against Hollywood
What are your thoughts on the ongoing writers’ protest? Let us know. Voyage New York is an entertainment and showbiz publishing company bringing you the latest news on current events. Read more of our articles now!
