The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has gone on strike for the first time in 15 years,over 11,000 film and television writers in the US have walked away from their positions. The strike is centered around the demand for fair compensation for streaming content creators, who have been undervalued and underpaid for their work. Late-night talk shows such as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver have shut down, while Saturday Night Live has gone on hiatus. The strike's impact on the entertainment industry is uncertain, with some previously planned scripts, such as Yellowjackets Season 3, already halted after just one day of writing. The WGA warns that the strike is an "existential crisis" for writers, and it remains to be seen how this tussle between corporations and creators will play out.
The three-year minimum basic agreement that the two sides are negotiating establishes baseline criteria for work done at the covered studios, which include Amazon, Apple, Disney, NBCUniversal, and Netflix.
These studios bargained the agreement together through the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, an industry trade association.
According to the unions, a rising number of writers, editors, and showrunners are now getting the contract's minimum compensation.
For example, a decade ago, 10% of co-producers were paid the minimum wage; currently, that figure has risen to 59%.
According to the unions, median compensation for writers and producers has fallen by 4% nominally during the same time span.
The 2007-08 writers' strike had a significant impact on the entertainment industry, resulting in estimated economic losses of up to $2.1 billion and collateral damage to those working in the industry. The strike lasted for 100 days, with nearly 12,000 members of the Writers Guild of America participating . The main concessions the writers won were requirements that fledgling streaming be treated like DVD sales in terms of residuals and that writers be paid for digital downloads of their work
The lingering mistrust between big media companies and their Hollywood workers cast a long shadow over the industry. However, after three months, the strike was resolved. The strike was successful in laying the groundwork for changes in payment structures for digital media . Guild leaders believe in pressing for long-term gains despite the disruption and cost . Currently, unions are negotiating with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to raise the wage floor, and workers are organizing for their rights and protesting unfair treatment.
