Understanding the Writers Strike

via. Deadline

It has now been 11 days since the Writers Guild of America went on strike; there is no sign the strike will end anytime soon.

On May 02, 2023, The Writers Guild of America (WGA) officially went on strike for the first time in 15 years.

The WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents all of the major Hollywood studios, could not reach an agreement on contract negotiations, forcing the WGA to vote and approve a strike until a worthwhile agreement can be made.

In its simplest form, what the writers union wants is higher pay and better working conditions; these present themselves in a variety of different ways in the contract negotiations between the studios and the writers.

Remember, this strike is not coming from a place of greed; initiating a strike is always the last resort and never the desired outcome for the WGA, but for the protection and fair treatment of its writers, it becomes a necessary one.

The WGA isn’t striking because a few writers want a little bit more money, the WGA is striking in order to protect and ensure television writing remains a viable career.

The key to understanding this strike is recognizing the main points the WGA is fighting for:

Writers' rooms, Streaming Residuals, and AI protections

WRITERS ROOMS:

via. unsplash

A common theme throughout this strike is not the WGA asking for something new, but to bring back some of the legacy of how writers were treated and compensated in the past. And that is present in the negotiations surrounding writers' rooms.

Over the last decade, television shows have slowly shifted from traditional writers' rooms, 7-12 writers working together writing episodes and staying on board through production. What is increasingly the norm now are called “mini-rooms,” fewer writers often contracted to before to write before the show is picked up for production, and not around during production.

This process of separating writers from the production process is a problem for the WGA as it prevents writers from gaining the on-set experience, which is often key to moving up in the industry; it also forces writers into fewer days in which they are paid. Not the mention, with fewer available slots, mini-rooms have made it more difficult for writers to get hired in the first place.

All of this allows the studios to pay writers less, all the while treating them more like disposable freelancers, which is why the WGA is pushing to implement staffing minimums, and proper compensation for the work they create.

Streaming Residuals

via. the pony express

Streaming is no longer “new media”; it’s the norm, and writers deserve to earn the same amount on residuals from streaming platforms as they do from broadcast TV. The current media landscape is streaming-first, but the current rules regarding streaming residuals are still operating under norms from over a decade ago.

Residual payments from scripts are a large part of what allows writers to make it a career, and not gig work, it allows writers to be supported by the work they did as they move are working new scripts and transition between projects. When the majority of all new television goes straight to streaming platforms and streamers aren't offering fair residual rates, it becomes increasingly difficult for writers to support themselves.

According to Deadline, “The guild was asking for 6%-5%-5% increases over the course of a new three-year contract for all minimums, including residual bases,” Deadline Reported. “But according to the guild, the AMPTP only offered 4%-3%-2% (one-time increase to most residual bases of 2% or 2.5%”

Additionally, the WGA is asking for requesting viewership-based residuals from streamers, which would require data transparency on viewership, which most streaming platforms historically have not disclosed.

"Writers are making 23% less than we were 10 years ago, while the companies are making record profits,” WGA negotiating team committee member Adam Conover told CBS news. “and that's what we're looking to address."

AI Protections

via. ZDnet

AI written text is advancing more and more every passing month, the WGA wants to get ahead of this advancement in order to protect its writers. The WGA is asking for regulation regarding the use of generative AI explicitly written into the contracts.

Back in 2008, the WGA couldn’t predict the future and advancement of streaming, which has led to a litany of problems today; they don’t want to make that same mistake regarding AI.

The WGA purposed: “AI can't write or rewrite literary material; can't be used as source material; and MBA-covered material can't be used to train AI."

The AMPTP did not agree to this proposal, but instead offered a yearly meeting to discuss the advancement of technology. This alternative is nowhere close to a fair replacement and makes it clear that the studios are looking closely into implementing AI into their operations, which makes the need for these explicit protections even more urgent.

The use of AI with no restrictions has the potential to change everything in entertainment and media. An AI chatbot is a helluva lot cheaper than hiring a full room of writers and can pump out scripts exponentially faster than any human ever could.

via. Vulture

The WGA needs these protections in the contracts to ensure their writers aren’t replaced with robots; the WGA needs these protections to ensure the quality and craftsmanship of writing in the industry can remain at a high standard and not formulaic and cookiecutter, dry money-grubbing slop regurgitated by AI bot without any real human thoughts feeling and emotions.

The strikes are pinching the studios hard; many productions are paused or shut down by picket lines. Right now, it's the striking writers that are pinching the studios, but given the strike goes on long enough, eventually, it's the audiences and consumers who will be talking with their wallets.

Times are different now; a lot has changed since 2008. The entertainment landscape is not heavily reliant on network television releases; the majority of effects from this strike might not be visible to consumers for months to come; this can likely push this strike longer, giving studios the impression that they have all this extra padding and wiggle room. But the moment consumers start the feel the brunt of the effect of months-long strikes, people will start talking with their wallets, and streamers like Netflix are not in a position right now to give people another reason to unsubscribe.

This strike isn’t the only strike on the horizon; the Directors Guild of America is currently in the middle of contract negotiations with AMPTP. If they cannot reach an agreement before their current contract is up in June, a DGA strike could be on the horizon. Additionally, a strike from the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) is not out of the question.

The WGA strike has already shut down dozens of productions and cost these studios millions of dollars; the potential mega strike of all three organizations would be earth-shattering and likely change the entertainment business forever.

We don’t know how long the strike will last, what its lasting impact will be, or what changes it will bring to the industry. All we can do is wait and see.