On May 2, 2023, after failing to come to an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (which includes 350+ TV and film studios and production companies), the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike – stopping all writing projects and bringing many Hollywood productions to a halt.
Since 2018, screenwriters’ pay has gone down about 20%. Additionally, writers are no longer receiving residuals (a percentage of the profit a show makes after it premieres) after their shows go on streaming platforms. Many writers are struggling to make enough money to live. With more than half of American households “cutting the cord” and only buying streaming services, along with the rise of AI technology capable of writing scripts, the concerns around writers’ wages only continue to grow. Writers are seeking a new contract with studios to protect their livelihood given the changing technological landscape.
The major WGA demands include:
- Increased minimum compensation for writers
- Residual agreements for streaming platforms
- Addressing the abuse of mini-rooms – a small writers’ room that works for a short period of time before a show has been approved by a studio allowing studios to pay writers less money and not keep writers on contract
- Increased contributions to health funds
- Regulated use of material made by AI
Learn more: Full List of WGA Demands. [continue reading…]