Why Are Hollywood Writers Striking?
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) began striking at midnight on Monday, as the union failed to reach a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Production on many popular TV shows may stop during the strike.
For Context: The WGA;s contract expired Monday, and negotiations on a new contract have gone on for weeks. On April 17, 97.85% of participating WGA members voted in favor of striking. The strike is the first of its kind since the 100-day 2007 strike. Estimates cited by multiple outlets said the 2007 strike cost about $2 billion. According to the AMPTP, the current strike could put as many as 20,000 other workers out of work.
Key Issues: The WGA is pushing for higher compensation for the 11,500 workers it represents, arguing that they're unerpaid amid the rise of streaming services. Negotiators point to industry trends like “mini rooms,” in which writers briefly work on new TV series without staying on to write the rest of the show. The WGA also reportedly wants to safeguard against the potential of AI replacing TV writers.
Media Perspectives: Right-rated outlets were less likely to publish news and opinion coverage on the potential strike. One opinion from the right was dismissive of the “Hollywoke” writers, analyses in other outlets discussed the specific interests of writers and producers; coverage from some left-rated outlets appeared sympathetic to the writers. Updated 5/2/23 at 8:09am ET with the strike starting.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Center
Factbox: Why are Hollywood writers threatening to strike?
Hollywood writers and the film and television studios are racing to agree to a new contract to replace the one that expires at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time Monday. If they fail to reach a deal, a strike could begin as soon as Tuesday.
Why is the Writers Guild of America threatening a strike?
The writers argue that they have been negatively impacted by streaming, saying they are working more for less money. They're seeking better compensation for their work on film, television and streaming shows, and residual payments that reward writers when...
From the Left
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Hollywood is on the brink of its first major labor stoppage in 15 years. The contract between the Writers Guild of America and Hollywood studios expires May 1. While these two parties have been in and out of negotiations for the last several weeks, it’s hard to find anyone who believes they will reach a deal before the deadline. Inevitable is the word used most often.
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I hear there’s another writers’ strike about to hit Hollywoke. Once upon a time this was a big deal. When the entertainment business actually entertained. When people of different ideologies could share movies and television shows that tilted left but still had crossover appeal. When you could enjoy a late-night comedy talk show like Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, and Conan O’Brien and laugh, even when they made fun of your side, because they were comic purists, who lampooned the other side as well.
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