Hollywood writers struggling with pay and job security are striking studios and major streamers at the start of labour disputes that have pressured late-night shows, halted other production and slowed the industry as a whole, reports Breaking News.
Hollywood’s first strike in 15 years began Tuesday as 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) walked out after their contracts expired.
The union demands, among other things, a higher minimum wage, more writers per show and less exclusivity for individual projects – all conditions were relaxed during the content boom of the streaming era.
Kelly Galuska, 39, a writer for The Bear on FX and Big Mouth on Netflix, said of the picket line at Fox Studios in Los Angeles: “Everything’s changed, but the money has changed in the wrong direction. It’s a turning point in the industry right now. And if we don’t get back to even, we never will,” reports Breaking News.
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The last Hollywood strike, conducted by the same union in 2007 and 2008, took three months to resolve.
With no talks or even plans for talks between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMTPT), which represents studios and production companies, there is no telling how long writers will have to go without pay, or how many great writers want.
Productions are delayed, cut or cancelled.
Josh Gad, a writer for shows like Central Park and the voice of Olaf in the Frozen movies, said of the Fox picket line, “When I saw the refusals to counter and the refusing to even negotiate by the AMPTP, I was like on fire to get out here and stand up for what we deserve,” reports Breaking News.
Several actors, including Rob Lowe, joined the picket line in support in Los Angeles.
Many hit writers like Gad are half-breeds who combine writing with other roles.
Gad said of his fellow writers: “We are nothing without their words. We have nothing without them. And so it’s imperative that we resolve this in a way that benefits the brilliance that comes out of each of these people,” reports Breaking News.
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