Writers Guild on Strike Demands for Better Pay
The Writers Guild of America has gone on strike for a variety of reasons, including better hours and better pay. On Tuesday, May 2 the first Hollywood strike in 15 years began as economic pressures from TV streaming have led unionized TV and film writers to protest for better pay outside major streaming studios, which has already led to most late-night shows going dark.
Around 11,500 film and tv writers represented by the union have stopped working and refuse to pick up their pens after failing to reach a new contract with the trade association that represents Hollywood studios and production companies. Members of the Writers Guild carried signs and chanted things like “No contracts, no content!” outside the Manhattan building.
The union is seeking higher minimum pay, more writers per show, and shorter exclusive contracts, among other demands, which they say have been diminished due to all the new streaming services. The labor dispute is already affecting TV and film productions, and depending on how long the strike lasts could continue into the fall.
Streaming services have exponentially increased the number of series and films that are being made each year which means more jobs for writers. But writers say they’re making less than they used to while working under more strained conditions. The WGA says, “The companies’ behavior has created a gig economy inside a union workforce.”
Late-night shows are the first to feel the effects as all of the top late-night shows are staffed by writers that create the jokes and monologues for the TV hosts. NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” Comedy Central’s “Daily Show,” ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live,” CBS’s “The Late Show” and NBC’s “Late Night” have all gone dark and are only playing reruns currently.
“Everyone including myself hope both sides reach a deal. But I also think that the writers’ demands are not unreasonable,” host Stephen Colbert said on Monday’s “Late Show.” “This nation owes so much to unions,” Colbert said. “Unions are the reason we have weekends, and by extension why we have TGI Fridays.”
The writer’s strike is only the beginning. The Directors Guild of America and the actors union, SAG-AFTRA, also have contracts that expire in June, and many of the same issues will factor into those bargaining sessions.
The actors’ union on Tuesday encouraged its members to join the writers in their strike as a sign of solidarity.
