Hollywood writers overwhelmingly vote to strike

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
18 Apr 2023 08:50
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Voting is considered as a chance to reverse the trend of authors receiving inadequate pay as studios announce record profits.

In this 2007 photo, members of the Writers Guild of America walk a picket line at Sony Studios in Culver City. (Reuters)

The majority of writers in Hollywood who are members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have voted to approve that a strike should be called for by union leadership at the fleet of contract negotiations with major studios.

With 97.85% of members voting in favor and 2.1% voting against, the strike was approved. Nearly 80% of the members participated in the voting, which received more than 9,200 ballots. The outcomes surpass the union's strike vote outcomes from 2017, which included 6,310 ballots with 96.3% in favor.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the WGA, which represents approximately 11,500 film and television writers, are currently negotiating a new union contract. The WGA has described this as an opportunity to reverse a recent trend of declining writer compensation in the entertainment industry, despite the industry consistently reporting multibillion-dollar profit margins.

The present agreement expires on May 1.

"WGA members have authorized a strike by 97.85%. Writers are ready for a deal from the studios that allows writers to share in the success of the content they create and build a stable life," Writers Guild of America tweeted.

WGA members have authorized a strike by 97.85%. Writers are ready for a deal from the studios that allows writers to share in the success of the content they create and build a stable life. #WGAStrong pic.twitter.com/gnCJsgH8Sg
— Writers Guild of America West (@WGAWest) April 17, 2023

The WGA is advocating for salary hikes that account for inflation and the rising cost of living, higher pension and healthcare contributions, and a restriction on the misuse of mini-rooms, which are smaller writing spaces on television programs where writers are often paid less.

Hollywood's elite has recently been preparing to produce some reality television, which does not require script writers, showing that the executives are anticipating and preparing for a strike. A strike authorization does not, however, indicate that a walkout is certain to occur.

Talk shows hosted by people like Colbert, Fallon, Kimmel, and Meyers would be taken off the air immediately in the event of a strike, and it would take some time for viewers at home to see the effects, as per media reports.

It is worth noting that the previous strike by Hollywood writers took place in 2007, lasting 100 days and resulting in an estimated $2.1 billion in missed income, as per media reports.