On May 2, 2023, the Writers Guild of America went on strike after six weeks of negotiating with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, failing to make a deal for a new contract and putting the brakes on new productions.
Several problems prompted the Writers Guild of America (WGA) to go on strike. One of its primary concerns was issues related to how writers are compensated based on movies and shows available on streaming networks.
WGA President Fran Drescher said in an interview in early September on National Public Radio that movie and television production is a collaborative art form, and “ we are all in it together.”
“We are integral to the studios’ success, yet we’re being treated like we don’t count,” she said in the interview.
The writers’ union wanted a contract with a minimum wage for writers who worked on major network television, as well as for those who worked on shows available only on streaming services. Those who wrote for streaming television had to negotiate for their pay and were often paid less for doing the same amount of work.
Another issue brought up was the attempted use of artificial intelligence to replace writers and eliminate their jobs. Writers said they believed that artificial intelligence should be used to help with research and/or script ideas, but nothing more than that.
In July, the actors’ union, Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), went on strike in solidarity with the writers but also because of their ongoing disputes with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Actors are angry that they are not being appropriately paid for re-runs of shows or films on streaming services/television. Actors are also concerned with the use of AI in cases where it could be used to digitally replace an actor rather than paying actors for their work or the use of their likeness.
The strike has also caused TV and film production to come to a temporary halt, causing division in Hollywood over how much someone should be compensated in the streaming era. The WGA has been on strike for more than 130 days, which is close to the longest writer’s strike in 1988. The WGA and the SAG-AFTRA have not been on strike together since the 1960s. This strike has resulted in an almost complete shutdown of Hollywood productions. Actors and writers have had to take out almost $45 million in withdrawals from the Motion Pictures Industry pension plan to help them pay their basic personal household bills while they are out of work.
Combined, the strikes have had an estimated $3 billion impact on California’s economy and a total of 37,700 jobs lost. The strikes have affected not only writers and actors but also businesses like catering companies, restaurants near studios, professional drivers, and florists. Experts estimate that entertainment-related jobs affect 20% of the Los Angeles area’s economy.
On Sept. 20, there were signs that real progress had been made to make a deal. Both sides were hopeful that they could come to an agreement to end the months-long standstill in working on film and TV production. Even if the writers sign a contract with the studio executives, the SAG-AFTRA would have to sign a separate contract before the work of producing film and TV shows could resume.
Then on September 24, 2023, striking writers reached an agreement after days of marathon negotiating, with the agreement still needing to be ratified the terms were not immediately known. Three days later on September 27, the writers’ strike officially ended after 148 days when the WGA board signed a new three-year deal. Although television and film writers have yet to ratify the contract writers are now allowed to finally go back to work.
