Writers Guild of America: Ongoing Writers and Actors Strike 

Alana Barahona

Over the past few months, many people have noticed that highly anticipated movies or show release dates have been delayed or that their “productions are coming to a halt.” These events are probably due to the ongoing writers and actors strikes. 

So, what is the strike about, and when can we expect it to end? 

The writers' strike began on May 2, 2023, and has been going on ever since. The actors' strike began on July 14. It has been mainly taking place in the United States, specially in the cities of New York, Los Angeles, Burbank, and Culver City. The primary reason these strikes are happening in those cities is because they are some of the most entertainment-producing cities of the US. Many of our favorite actors, studios, production companies, and writers are all situated in places like these. According to Vox.com “Some 11,500 Hollywood writers, represented by the Writers Guild of America (WGA), walked off the job on May 2 and have been on strike since then. Then, 160,000 actors under the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) went on strike as well on July 14, 2023.” But, why did this strike start in the first place? According to Forbes, “March 20: Negotiations between the WGA and AMPTP begin and eventually stall. May 1: Writers and studios fail to strike a deal for a new contract by a previously set deadline, igniting the start of the WGA strike—which was approved by a 97.9% vote and received support from several actors shortly after it began.” 

Can we expect these strikes to end soon? Honestly, we don't know as writers and actors continue to struggle to reach an agreement with their employers. We also need to remember these strikes don't just affect writers and actors; crew workers on sets are also being hurt because of production halts. But this strike is not all bad, and I believe it could lead to better entertainment for us whenever production continues as well as the justice actors and writers deserve. 

Works Cited

Stewart, Emily. “It’s Not Just Famous Actors and Big-Name Writers the Hollywood Strikes Are Hurting.” Vox, 22 Aug. 2023, Web. 

Pequeño IV, Antonio. “Hollywood Writers’ Strike: Here’s a Timeline of What Led to the  100-Day Mark.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 

11 Aug. 2023, Web.

Photo by: Mike Segar from Reuters

Update to this article: Since writing this piece, the writers strike has ended.