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On May 2, 2023, the Writer's Guild of America went on strike. In this article, Kayla Newman explains why they went on strike, the impact, how to support the strike, and the history of past WGA strikes.
The Writer's guild of America Strike
The Writer's guild of America Strike
By Kayla Newman
By Kayla Newman
The Writer's Guild of America is a labor union that represents thousands of writers for different media such as film, television, radio, and news media. Just after midnight of May 2, 2023, the WGA went on strike to receive higher pay. The strike is happening all over Hollywood, Chicago, and New York at various studios and entertainment headquarters. The last time the WGA went on strike was 2007-8, and it lasted for 100 days. The 2007 writers’ strike happened to receive fair compensation.
Why?
Why?
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) met with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) in order to discuss new terms in the writers’ contract that expires every three years. The WGA wanted better compensation due to pay decreasing by 14% over the last five years. Collider, an entertainment and digital production website, wrote: “Writers are feeling more like disposable freelance workers.” They reported to writers standing on their roles with projects within streaming and productions. The AMPTP, on the other hand, felt that writers were fairly compensated for their work. The WGA also wanted higher residual pay and to make it more equal between reruns and shows that are still broadcasting; WGA also wanted a minimum staff of six writers in the Writers' Room. Despite a week of negotiations, no agreements were reached. After a unanimous vote, the WGA called for a strike that started just after midnight on May 2, 2023.
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Impact
Impact
Photo from Arc Digital
Screenwriters are an integral part of any production and are the reason many loved shows are brought to fruition. Due to the Writers' strike, many productions are on hold. Many late-night talk shows, such as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live, will not be airing any new episodes and instead will be airing reruns. According to Entertainment Tonight, “With the 2023 TV premiere schedule already mapped out until the end of August, there will not likely be an immediate impact on any current programming rolling out over the next few months-- especially with most series that have already completed writing the scripts on upcoming episodes.” Right now, the only impact will be the show's having reduced episodes. If the strike lasts past August, shows like Abbott Elementary and Cobra's Kai's new season and episodes will be on hold.
As streaming services run out of scripted shows, the strike may give rise to more reality TV and game shows since they are not a part of WGA and do not require scripts. As the strike progresses, TV enjoyers will start seeing more unscripted shows, sports, or really anything that does not need a script. For example, during the 2007 strike, game and reality shows like American Idol, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and Amazing Race aired due to the strike.
How to Support
How to Support
The number one way of supporting the strike is joining the picket lines and helping their numbers. Crossing the picket line is the worst way to support a strike. According to Law At The Margins, a nonprofit platform that highlights law and legal institutes that deal with the rights and social justice of people and communities, “It is demoralizing to see people walk past you as you are on the street fighting for basic benefits or to be treated with respect.” Supporting the strike on social media also helps, such as using hashtags that show your support. The WGA even has Twitter accounts (WGA West and WGA East) that keep people updated on what is happening and striking locations. If driving past a picketing site, honk, honk until your heart's content and make a little tune as you go by. Donating food to striking families or bringing snacks, meals, water, and whatnot to strike locations also helps tremendously.
Photo from Facebook
Past WGA Strikes
Past WGA Strikes
Since the 1950’s The Writer's Guild and their predecessors have had seven strikes (including the current one). Their strikes tend to happen streaming movies and shows evolve.
1952
1952
Before the Writers Guild of America, their predecessor was known as the Screen Writers Guild. They joined with the Authors League of America and went on strike against TV and Film producers for 98 days. The two guilds won and were able to define the pay scale, and script ownership, and even made it possible for radio and theatrical writers to be able to submit their work for TV. Two years later, the two guilds representing television and radio writers merged, thus giving us the Writers Guild of America.
1960
1960
The first time the Writers Guild of America walked out, it lasted 153 days. They went on strike in order to receive residuals for films shown for free on TV. They eventually won.
1973
1973
The next time the WGA went on strike was 13 years later. They went on strike for 112 days. They eventually won, gaining higher salaries and residuals for movies shown on cassettes and pay television.
1981
1981
The strike in 1981 was groundbreaking. It was not as long as the previous strikes and only lasted 96 days. The strike prevented many entertainment workers from working and delayed new seasons until November. In the end, the WGA is once again victorious. They won a guaranteed share of the producers' profit from pay TV (which was growing quite fast at the time) and home video markets.
1988
1988
The Writers' Strike in 1988 was the WGA’s longest strike. This strike was groundbreaking and showed the power that writer's held. It brought thousands of layoffs in the entertainment industry which caused financial hardship. Eventually, the WGA ranged victorious once more and awarded a new contract that brought a new way of calculating residuals and a higher minimum wage.
2007
2007
19 years later, the WGA once again goes on strike. It lasted exactly 100 days and cost LA’s economy around 500 million to 2.1 billion dollars. According to the National World, a British Multimedia Company, “writers wanted a new deal on DVD residuals… and more compensation for content released on ‘new media’ which at the time referred to online and streaming services.” In the end, the striking writers’ won. They gained the residuals they wanted and projects that were over a certain budget would have to hire WGA writers’.
Photo from Bleeding Cool
It has been 71 years since the first writers’ strike. An obvious pattern has been shown-- the writers want equal pay for their work and they are willing to fight to obtain it. The WGA writers’ have been shown tremendous support from the public, people in the entertainment industry, and even the president is in support of them.
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