A minute after midnight ET on May 2, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike after its old contract expired. After weeks of negotiations with a trade association that work on behalf of some of the biggest studios in Hollywood, a new agreement could not be reached. This is the second time the WGA has gone on strike, with the last time being in 2007.
The disagreement centers around the continued underpayment of writers within the WGA and the lack of appropriate residuals from studios for streaming programming. The WGA is also pushing to add protections around artificial intelligence that threaten and undermine what writers do and to end what amounts to day-to-day or gig-like work.
So how did we get here?
Essentially, the writers have been negotiating with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which covers Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Discovery-Warner, NBC Universal, Paramount and Sony.
According to the WGA release, “the companies’ business practices have slashed our compensation and residuals and undermined our working conditions.”
This is truly, simply what the WGA strike is about: do you detect a difference b/t the shows you stream (through Roku, your laptop, etc) and the ones you watch through a cable box? Bc we do the same work for both, but we take a HUGE paycut for streaming shows. 1/3
— Eliza Skinner 🦐 (@elizaskinner) May 2, 2023
Streaming platforms have not evolved since the last contract, which was based primarily on streaming being sites like YouTube and not the huge money-making platforms we have now.
The writers are fighting against what amounts to gig work, being paid by the day without any protections. There are no guarantees as it stands now, and they’re being dramatically undervalued.
Adam Conover, a standup comedian, writer and TV host shared details on Twitter as to what the WGA was asking versus what response or counteroffer AMPTP gave.
I'm incredibly proud of how transparent our union is. In the @WGAWest's strike announcement, we included a list of our proposals, and the AMPTP's responses. Read it for yourself: it explains in black and white we're forced to go on strike. pic.twitter.com/U2FLsv9Dob
— Adam Conover (@adamconover) May 2, 2023
What will happen to your favorite shows?
Depending on how long the strike lasts, we could see some shows or seasons cut short or canceled altogether. In 2007, reality TV shows like Big Brother added episodes or filmed additional seasons. More than 50 programs — including Breaking Bad, The Office, Scrubs and Lost — shortened their seasons significantly. Some, like Pushing Daisies, never really recovered.
Since the last strike occurred before streaming was popular or utilized the way it is now, things could be very different.
With better pay and better protections, however, your favorite shows could thrive.
What happens now?
Production on shows — whether broadcast or streaming — has stopped. Late-night television will not air this week. Picketing will take place starting as early as this afternoon.
Popular stars like Abbott Elementary‘s Quinta Brunson and Amanda Seyfried of Mean Girls took a moment at Monday night’s Met Gala to show solidarity with the guild.
Warning: The videos have some NSFW language.
Quinta Brunson, at the #MetGala, on the potential writers’ strike that could happen as soon as Tuesday.
"I'm a member of WGA [Writers Guild of America] and support WGA, and them getting — we, us — getting what we need." https://t.co/3Xv5AzigsM pic.twitter.com/1aDQsh8d0L
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 1, 2023
Amanda Seyfried shares her thoughts on a potential WGA strike: “Everything changed with streaming, and everyone should be compensated for their work. It’s f-cking easy.” pic.twitter.com/T21n5f188K
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) May 2, 2023
It’s unclear how long the strike will last. But one thing is certain: With approximately 11,500 unionized writers in the guild, the impact will be large. These writers deserve to be paid with protections, so it’s unclear how long it will take the studios to agree. The 2007 strike, which lasted 100 days, was estimated to cost Southern California more than $2 billion.
Potentially complicating matters further, the Director’s Guild of America (DGA) also is set to begin contract negotiations on May 10.
