For the first time in 15 years, Hollywood screenwriters and television writers are going on strike, putting the brakes on many productions as members of the official union (WGA) are not allowed to participate in films, series and television talk show.
In a statement, the unions, which represent the screenwriters, say that the decision on the strike is unanimous. The protests start today, Tuesday, May 2, when their three-year contracts expire.
Their requests
Screenwriters claim that their working conditions have been negatively affected by streaming and they now work longer hours with lower pay.
Their demands include higher salaries but also to be paid more when the series they have written becomes a hit.
Half of TV writers now work at minimum wage, compared to one-third in the 2013-2014 season, according to union statistics. The average salary of screenwriters at the top screenwriter/producer level has declined by 4% over the past decade.
"The way it looks right now is that there's not going to be a middle class in Hollywood," Caroline Renard, a WGA liaison and screenwriter who has worked on Disney Channel's Secrets of Sulfur Springs and other series, told the Guardian.
They are not allowed to work during the strike, so late-night shows such as "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon," "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" and "Saturday Night Live," which use teams of writers to edit topical jokes, stop production as of today.
If the strike is extended, it could delay the start of the fall television season. A prolonged strike could lead to more unscripted reality shows and newsmagazines filling the evening television schedule.
The Motion Picture and Television Producers Guild, which negotiates on behalf of Hollywood companies, said its offer included "generous increases in screenwriters' compensation" and made clear it remained willing to continue negotiations.
The main points of contention, according to the studios, include union proposals asking the companies to staff TV shows with a certain number of writers for a certain period of time "whether it's necessary or not."
The last WGA strike, in 2007 and 2008, lasted 100 days. TV networks aired reruns and more reality shows, and the cost to California's economy was estimated at $2,1 billion, according to the Milken Institute.
Source: in.gr