I'm More than the Money: a Response to Deadline's Recent Article on the WGA Strike

Let me preface this by saying I'm not a screenwriter. It's not something I have a whole lot of knowledge on nor do I want to take the time to learn and practice. However, the WGA strike is no longer just about the writers need for a fair contract, it is about everyone in the film and television industry who are no longer willing to bend to the cutting of corners by major corporations. It is apparent that it is going to become a long and arduous battle between the leaders and the industry.

WGA members on strike.

Now before I talk about the now viral article, let me give the facts about the strike's current situation. As of now, the WGA strike has been going on for over 70 days after officially starting back on May 2nd this year. The WGA is picketing over failure to reach an agreement with AMPTP on their next three year contract. The main points of disagreement are:

Pay Raises

Obviously inflation has affected everyone in the United States, and screenwriters are no exception. Especially in major cities, the wages should be level with living costs for the writers. Additionally, when the minimum wage agreement was set, it was done back before streaming services became a major part of the industry. The original wording benefits more so broadcast than streaming.

Residuals

Speaking of streaming, residuals were not set up fairly for streaming services in the previous contract. Every single time you watch a series or film, a portion of what you pay for it goes to the writer as a residual. Residuals for streaming are laughably low, considering that more households have streaming services than every before. Screenwriters are practically getting cheated out of revenue.

AI Regulation

Sounds kind of weird, but when you look at the advancements AI like Chat GPT has made in the past few months, this point makes sense. WGA wants to protect its writers from being replaced by technology that admittedly is progressing much faster than we could ever imagine.

All three of these points are understandably important to the over 11,000 members that make up the WGA, and are major enough to halt all above the line projects. The WGA is a union that recently never faltered in their fight for fairness in a contract. They're willing to fight for as long as it takes to get what they deserve.

Promotional from a Black Mirror Episode called "Joan is Awful" which brings to light issues with AI regulation from both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA.

Let's go ahead and switch back to this article then. On July 11, Dominic Patten published an article called "Hollywood Studios’ WGA Strike Endgame Is To Let Writers Go Broke Before Resuming Talks In Fall" on Deadline. The following is one of the most important quotes written in the article, which is accredited to an anonymous source known as a studio executive.

"The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses."

Honestly, I'm not surprised by this statement.

This isn't the first time, nor it's the last time someone will say something like this. Even with losing an estimated 30 million dollars a day, some people just will not take a hint that it's really not about the money. It is about so much more than that.

Like the WGA, the IATSE union came to a certain crossroads back in 2021. Unlike the WGA, however, they took the agreement at the eleventh hour. Unfortunately, this agreement that was signed and ratified bowed to the higher ups and didn't solve the major problems the production side of the industry faced like fraturdays. When we didn't get what we want, myself and others in production (union and nonunion) thought that there was no hope for any of us. Then WGA stood up, and it seems like there is at least one glimmer of hope for all of us.

What I want these producers and higher ups to know is that I, and all the people I work with, are much more than a dollar amount. We deserve fair contracts and rights and we deserve to not be married to our work if we don't want to. It's ridiculous how many stories I hear about divorce and estranged relationships due to working in the film industry. You want to know why so many people have left this industry? It's because we all know the interests of today's studio executives is how much money they can make, not if all their crew members survive on set and can go home and see their families. It's all about, "what corner can I cut," and not about "how I can keep my reliable workers?"

Image via WGA Contract 2023. Click for more information for how you can help!

I get it, I am only one person, and to these executives, my opinion does not matter. But what about over 11,000 people who are picketing in front of the lobby doors? As 12:01 today (Friday, July 14) what the AMPTP has got on their hands now is a double strike, with SAG-AFTRA joining the line. This is literal history in the making, and I would hate to be on the executive's side.

All I can say is that this fight has started a long time ago, and trying to wait for it to die out is not going to stop anyone from what they rightfully deserve. I think whoever made this comment and many of the others in the article forget who they're up against. Without writers (and now actors!), there are no shows, no films, no content to release. They're fighting the people who create their revenue. How long do they think they're going to last without them?

READ THE DEADLINE ARTICLE HERE: https://deadline.com/2023/07/writers-strike-hollywood-studios-deal-fight-wga-actors-1235434335/