Hit news straight from Hollywood. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced late last night that it will be on strike.
After failed negotiations with the Alliance of Film and Television Producers (AMPTP), the union said it will begin picketing tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. Pacific time.
Board of Directors Sp @WGAwest and Council for @WGAeastacting under the authority granted to them by their membership, they voted unanimously to declare a strike effective at 00:01 on Tuesday, May 2.
— Writers Guild of West America (@WGAWest) May 2, 2023
“Although we negotiated with the intent of a good deal – and while voting to strike gave us leverage to realize some gains – the studios’ responses to our proposals have been wholly inadequate given the existential crisis writers are facing,” the WGA said in a message to members. .
The announcement got here three hours before the contract for the brand new film and tv script officially expired. The last WGA strike was in 2007-2008. It lasted 100 days. More than 11,000 television and film writers are expected to depart their jobs.
What does the WGA want?
The Writers Guild is asking for a number of changes to their recent contract, including:
- Pay rises for streaming and recent media.
- Completion of the so-called mini roomssmaller writing rooms where the showrunner and a limited group of writers develop scripts for minimal pay.
- Increases in contributions for health and pension advantages
- Greater control over the work of writers
With the appearance of streaming services, authors say they need a contract that reflects the changing times.
“Writers at every level and in every genre, be it fiction or television, we’re all devalued and financially exploited by the studios,” Danny Tolli, a author whose credits include “Roswell, New Mexico“and show Shondaland”Fishing” he said The New York Times. “These studios make billions and spend billions on content – content we create with our blood, sweat and tears.”
— Nick Mandernach (@ManderNick) May 2, 2023
The studios strike back
AMPTP, which represents studios and streamers equivalent to Amazon, Apple, CBS, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony and Warner Bros Discovery, said in an announcement it had offered a “comprehensive package proposal”. According to Hollywood reporterpoints of contention included guild proposals for minimum writing staff sizes and minimum tenure.
The strike sparked a frenzy in Hollywood.
“Across the town, agents and producers are rushing to make last-minute deals to shut before midnight, so in some cases, some scribes may get their last paycheck,” it said. Deadline.
So far, it’s hard to say which shows and productions might be affected by the WGA strike, however the powerful Teamsters union has declared their members “don’t cross picket lines”.
talk shows like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon won’t record recent episodes from Tuesday evening.
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