Sophia Michaels
What Does the WGA Want?
The WGA is seeking changes to writer compensation and working conditions in Hollywood, including a “sizable increase in minimums, better formula for residuals on streaming platforms, and a minimum staffing requirement for all TV shows.”
While it is unknown what will be in store for movie projects during the strike, it is safe to say that networks and movie projects would be at a disadvantage.
A writers’ strike is looming in Hollywood and it could disrupt the future of TV and movies as we know it. For the past few months, ongoing negotiations between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) led the WGA to vote yes to authorize a strike on May 1 (by a historical margin of 97.85 percent) if an agreement could not be reached on their next three-year contract. According to Variety, the call for a strike is the result of the WGA seeking changes to writer compensation and working conditions in Hollywood — including a “sizable increase in minimums, better formula for residuals on streaming platforms, and a minimum staffing requirement for all TV shows.”
What happens during a writers’ strike you may ask? Well, writers who are members of the WGA — including their agents or anyone acting on their behalf — are prohibited from writing, pitching, or negotiating for work amid the strike. The purpose, according to the labor union, is to ensure the best possible contract for writers going forward.
The 2023 writers’ strike is largely fueled by the entertainment industry’s major shift to streaming content. While TV shows and movies have adjusted to the ever-growing tech era, one thing that hasn’t evolved is how studios pay creators. “The companies have used the transition to streaming to cut writer pay and separate writing from production, worsening working conditions for series writers at all levels,” the WGA shared in a March 14 bulletin. As a result, TV writer Danny Tolli told The New York Times, “Writers at every level and in every genre, whether it’s features or TV, we’re all being devalued and financially taken advantage of by the studios.”
So what does all this mean for the future of entertainment? Ahead, find a guide to the 2023 writers’ strike with all your biggest questions answered.
What Is a Writers’ Strike?
According to Vox, a writers’ strike occurs when members of the WGA, the labor union that most employed writers in Hollywood belong to, stop working until the organization reaches an agreement with the AMPTP, which negotiates on behalf of all major studios and hundreds of production companies. Meaning, no members are allowed to write or sell new scripts for TV shows or movies until the WGA votes to end the strike. And in most cases, this also means writers go without pay for the duration of the strike.
A writers’ strike doesn’t just affect those who creatively contribute to TV shows or films, it also touches those who work in other sectors of the entertainment industry when production halts — including caterers, set dressers, directors, and background actors, who then have to find other work in the interim. And it also hits those at home, as TV shows are delayed or get shortened seasons abruptly.
When Was the Last Writers’ Strike?
The last time a writers’ strike of this magnitude happened was in 2007 — which resulted in many scripted shows having their seasons shortened, some late-night programs being forced off the air, and a few reality shows getting longer or new seasons, per Vox. According to The Hollywood Reporter, that strike lasted 100 days, concluding on Feb. 12, 2008, and took a $2.1 billion toll on the Los Angeles economy. A new three-year contract was eventually approved by the WGA at the time, but streaming wasn’t a big part of that conversation. Now, it seems Hollywood studios still haven’t figured out how to factor those residuals into what writers earn today.
Why Is a Writers’ Strike Happening in 2023?
This year’s writers’ strike has been up in the air for months, with the Los Angeles Times reporting on a potential strike back in February. At this point, it seems writers and Hollywood companies won’t be able to settle their differences, which is why the industry is on the verge of its first writers’ strike in 15 years. According to The New York Times, writers are fighting for raises while studios argue that a new compensation structure ignores economic realities. Should an agreement not be met by the end of day May 1, a writers’ strike could begin as early as 12:01 a.m. PT the following day.
What Is the Writers Guild of America Demanding?
The main issue that writers are threatening to strike over is compensation, which, according to the WGA, has been negatively impacted by the recent streaming takeover. Writers’ demands also revolve around pay equity, residuals for theatrical and streaming features, better pre-production writers’ rooms, increased contributions to the WGA’s pension plan and health fund, and more measures to combat discrimination and harassment. For the full list of demands, visit the WGA’s 2023 contract website.
Which TV Shows Will Be Affected by the 2023 Writers’ Strike?
If the strike goes into effect on May 2, all shows that produce immediate work would be affected, like “Saturday Night Live” and late-night talk shows like “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” which could all face shortened seasons. Next up, broadcast TV shows scheduled to return in the fall will most likely be delayed as they typically start writing in the summer. So that means network darlings like “Abbott Elementary” would, unfortunately, be in danger of having its upcoming season pushed back.
Unscripted programming like reality shows, game shows, news, and sports would be largely unaffected, while streaming content may also be safe for now as its production model runs on a longer time span. Meaning, most of those projects are produced far before they’re distributed on platforms. Streamers also have huge libraries of content at their disposal so viewers would still have other means to entertain themselves amid the strike.
Movie projects would likely avoid any effects from the strike until next year, should anything currently in the pipeline be delayed or unable to start filming. The longer the strike lasts, the more severe issues will arise.
