The entertainment industry in Hollywood is facing a looming crisis, as the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) struggle to come to an agreement before the deadline of May 1st. If an agreement is not reached, writers may go on strike, which could lead to many popular television shows and movies shutting down.
Late-night TV will be the first visible sign of the impact of a strike. Popular shows like Saturday Night Live and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver will go off the air without comedy writers to poke fun at the day’s news. While some movies and TV shows could continue filming if scripts are already written, many will shut down because actors, directors, and set workers will refuse to cross picket lines.
The WGA represents television and film writers and is calling for better compensation in the new streaming economy. Many writers are reporting lower wages as digital platforms have disrupted traditional television and film production. Charles Slocum, an Assistant Executive Director with the Writers Guild, has emphasized the importance of maintaining a stable compensation structure to support writers’ careers.
The AMPTP has not yet agreed to an interview but has issued a statement calling for “reasonable compromises” without specifying any particular sticking points. Negotiations this time around have not been as smooth as they were in 2017, the last time a contract was renegotiated. Earlier this month, 11,500 Writers Guild members voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if a contract could not be agreed upon.
The issue at the heart of the disagreement between the two sides is how writers are paid in the era of streaming. In the past, writers would be hired for a 22-episode season of television and would be paid upfront and receive residual paychecks when shows were rerun. However, streaming has disrupted the traditional model, and writers are now being asked to provide weeks or months of free rewrites of scripts. Additionally, streamers have cut way down on the number of episodes ordered per season, sometimes just six-to-eight episodes. This makes it harder for writers to get sustained work throughout the year, and many are struggling to make a sustainable living.
The Writers Guild is also concerned about the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in script-writing. As AI emerges at a fast pace, writers want assurances that humans will still get writing work and writing credit. “A chatbot can’t run a show,” said writer Niceole Levy.
The last writers’ strike in 2007-2008 lasted 100 days and cost the California economy $2 billion, leading to many cancelled or delayed shows. This time, the Writers Guild has warned writers that they would be barred from future membership if they break the strike. Both the Writers Guild and the Teamsters union, which represents workers who provide transport on film and TV sets, are urging multi-billion dollar corporations, including Amazon, Netflix, Disney, and Apple, to invest in the writers who create the content we all watch.
Writer Brandon Hines, who has written for a show and is now relying on government assistance, exemplifies the struggle of many writers. At 37, Hines is packing up his apartment in New York and moving back in with his family in Atlanta because he can’t afford to live as a writer in New York anymore. Ms Levy, who has been in the industry for a decade, worries about writers coming up in the industry. “I don’t worry for myself – it took me 10 years – but I’m in. They will have to drag me out screaming and yelling if they want to get rid of me.”