{"id":154588,"date":"2023-03-23T23:25:38","date_gmt":"2023-03-23T23:25:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/culture.org\/?p=154588"},"modified":"2023-03-30T15:12:46","modified_gmt":"2023-03-30T15:12:46","slug":"wga-seeks-higher-compensation-amid-streaming-boom-threatens-first-strike-in-15-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/culture.org\/news\/wga-seeks-higher-compensation-amid-streaming-boom-threatens-first-strike-in-15-years\/","title":{"rendered":"WGA Seeks Higher Compensation Amid Streaming Boom, Threatens First Strike in 15 Years"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has commenced high-stakes negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) for a new three-year contract, as the current agreement is set to expire on May 1.<\/span><\/p>\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n

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The potential writers’ strike could cause massive disruption to television and film projects across the industry, affecting not only writers but also other professionals involved in production.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>\r\n\r\n

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Representing over 11,000 television and movie writers, the WGA is seeking higher compensation, improved workplace standards, and a boost in contributions to pension and health funds.<\/span><\/p>\n

The outcome of these negotiations will determine if the entertainment industry faces its first writers’ strike in 15 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Writers Seek Fair Compensation Amid Streaming Revolution<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As the industry shifts towards streaming platforms, the WGA claims that Hollywood companies have taken advantage of this change to devalue writers’ work, leading to worsening working conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

The rapid transition to streaming entertainment has upended nearly every corner of Hollywood, and writers believe they have been left behind.<\/span><\/p>\n

With fewer episodes per season on streaming platforms compared to traditional networks, writers are often paid less while working more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Residual fees, or money paid when a film or series is rerun or aired on broadcast, have helped supplement writers’ income for years.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, these fees are disappearing in the streaming era, where most projects ultimately land.<\/span><\/p>\n

Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on Writers<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The WGA is also asking for studios to establish standards around the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology.<\/span><\/p>\n

The guild wants the use of AI regulated in terms of material created for the studios.<\/span><\/p>\n

The exact terms of agreement regarding AI have yet to be determined, and the WGA will have to overcome several hurdles to deliver its objectives to members.<\/span><\/p>\n

Uncertainty Surrounding Potential Strike<\/strong><\/h2>\n

No outcome is certain, but the situation suggests an easy resolution is unlikely.<\/span><\/p>\n

Producers have begun to stockpile scripts by asking writers to complete as many ahead of the May 1 deadline as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

A walkout must first be authorized by union members, and the WGA has signaled that it could conduct a vote as early as the first week in April.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although authorization gives the union leverage, it does not necessarily mean a strike is inevitable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gig Economy and Job Insecurity<\/strong><\/h2>\n

With the growing demand for content, many professionals in the entertainment industry work on a project-to-project basis, leading to job insecurity and a lack of long-term stability.<\/span><\/p>\n

This gig economy structure can make it difficult for workers to plan their careers and secure stable income.<\/span><\/p>\n

The potential writers’ strike highlights the need for better workplace standards and more reliable compensation structures to address the challenges faced by Hollywood workers in this evolving landscape.<\/span><\/p>\n

Effects of a Strike on the Entertainment Industry<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A strike would gradually halt the production of many television shows, except for reality and news programs, which would remain mostly unaffected.<\/span><\/p>\n

Viewers would notice the fallout first among entertainment talk shows and later among scripted TV series by the end of the year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moviegoers would not experience immediate effects, as movie studios work about a year ahead.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the risk involves 2024, especially if studios rush to beat a strike by putting films into production with unfinished scripts.<\/span><\/p>\n

The potential writers’ strike could cause massive disruption to television and film projects across the industry, affecting not only writers but also other professionals involved in production.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tens of thousands of entertainment workers were idled during the 2007 strike, and the Los Angeles economy suffered losses of more than $2 billion.<\/span><\/p>\n

As negotiations continue, the impact of a potential strike on the broader Hollywood workforce remains a critical concern.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Future of Negotiations<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The initial round of talks is expected to last two weeks, after which there will be a break for the WGA to update its members on the progress.<\/span><\/p>\n

Negotiations will then resume with the aim of reaching an agreement before May 1.<\/span><\/p>\n

The AMPTP has stated that it is approaching the negotiations “with the long-term health and stability of the industry as our priority” and is “fully committed to reaching a mutually beneficial deal.”<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has commenced high-stakes negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) for a new three-year contract, as the current agreement is set to expire on May 1. Representing over 11,000 television and movie writers, the WGA is seeking higher compensation, improved workplace standards, and a boost […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":154793,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3588],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-154588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154588"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154588"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154588\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/154793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}