FILE Syndication: USA TODAY
As of May 2nd, more than 11,000 unionized writers have taken to the streets with signs in hand. The 2023 WGA strike has officially begun.
This is not the first strike to happen among Hollywood’s scribes. The last strike to occur took place in 2007, and lasted 100 days.
It generally boils down to two major issues; payment and length of employment. A notable portion of a writer’s income comes from residuals, and if a project is running (or re-running) on traditional broadcast, the amount a writer is paid in residuals will increase or decrease based on the performance of that project. This is not the case for projects available on “New Media” AKA streaming services and VOD. Writers receive a set number regardless of the show’s performance, with many writers receiving the minimum amount required.
Another issues is the security of the writer’s employment. The WGA attempted to negotiate a system where a minimum amount of writers must be employed to a project, regardless if they are needed for the entire production. The more episodes requested, the higher number of writers. This offer, among many others, was denied with no counteroffer.
The entertainment industry is already seeing immediate changes due to this strike. Late-Night shows such as ‘The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon’, ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’ and ‘Saturday Night Live’ have already halted production of new content. It’s important to note that the 2007 strike costed the economy of Los Angeles a estimated $2.1 Billion.
We can only wait and see what will happen as the strike continues.
