Members of the Writers Guild of America are currently slated to begin a strike on Monday evening as the contract between the union and major production companies expires.
Nearly 98% of union members voted earlier this year to authorize a strike in the event that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, a trade association that represents more than 350 studios in entertainment industry negotiations, did not approve a new contract with increased minimum compensation, larger contributions to pension and health plans, and the regulation of material produced with artificial intelligence or similar technology.
The possible strike, which would be the first for the Writers Guild of America in more than 15 years, occurs as the shift toward streaming contributes to diminished profits in television and cinema. The union said that firms have “used the transition to streaming to cut writer pay and separate writing from production, worsening working conditions for series writers at all levels.”
The share of writers working at the minimum standards established by the most recent Writers Guild of America contract has increased substantially in recent years, producing a 23% median compensation decline when adjusted for inflation even as series budgets increase.
Daniel Kunka, a screenwriter who serves as a strike captain for the Writers Guild of America, said on social media that the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers will negotiate “up until the deadline” on Monday night to establish a new contract. “The pressure we assert by being so well prepared is only to our benefit,” he said. “The companies need to believe our willingness to strike and they need to understand the implications.”
Members of the Writers Guild of America went on strike for three months between 2007 and 2008, causing production delays and shortened seasons for shows such as “The Colbert Report,” “30 Rock,” “Family Guy,” and “Saturday Night Live.”
Production for shows such as “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Real Time With Bill Maher,” “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” “Saturday Night Live,” and “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” would also immediately cease if the strike enters into effect on Tuesday, according to a memo from the Writers Guild of America obtained by the Los Angeles Times. The document added that delays could inhibit the capacity of Disney, Paramount Global, and Comcast NBCUniversal to produce episodes for the fall network television season, while streaming platforms carrying broadcast shows would likewise be impacted by delays.
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News of the pending strike occurs after 99% of the Allied Pilots Association, which represents employees of American Airlines, greenlit a strike authorization over the weekend as the company enters the busy summer travel season. Members of the Southwest Airlines Pilot Association likewise opened a strike authorization vote on Monday, threatening to further impact the company after holiday travel disruptions last year continues to impact earnings.
The call from the Writers Guild of America to regulate the use of AI comes as multiple tools driven by the technology become increasingly commonplace in white-collar sectors. Systems such as ChatGPT enable workers to complete tasks such as writing emails and fixing computer code in a matter of seconds, a phenomenon that raises concerns about technological unemployment but presents efficiency gains for certain workers.