The Writers’ Strike that lasted nearly five months is over, resulting in many gains for members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA). The strike began on May 2, 2023 and ended on Sept. 27, 2023, lasting 148 days and making it the longest WGA strike since 1988. It applied specifically to any companies represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which includes most of Hollywood.
The tentative agreement between the WGA and the AMPTP that ended the strike includes many benefits for television writers. It details scheduled pay increases over the next couple of years, with a 5% raise effective immediately. It also contains greater compensation for streamed television, which replaces money that writers lose from no longer having as many reruns of their works. In addition, the agreement gives writers individual retirement funds and health benefits; these previously could be divided among members of writing teams. Writers are also guaranteed protections against artificial intelligence. They must be notified whenever artificial intelligence is used, and it may not be used to replace or take over a writer’s work. Unlike the Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA) that set a minimum wage for television writers and expired on May 1, 2023, the new agreement applies to streaming television writers as well as their counterparts in broadcasting and film.
These provisions were all concerns outlined by the WGA when the strike began. At the time, another goal was to obtain greater job security for writers. The WGA advocated for television shows to require a minimum number of writers on staff and to keep them for at least a certain amount of time.
During the strike, writers were prohibited from working with any companies that were part of the AMPTP. WGA members who disobeyed this would be punished, and non-WGA members would be banned from joining the union in the future. The Guild also encouraged people to protest outside certain studios and even provided chants for the crowds on its website. Some of the call-and-response chants listed were: “No wages!/(No pages!)” and “Exploitation ain’t the way,/(Writers gotta get fair pay!)” Both the strike and picketing proved effective in hampering or halting television production.
Even in the weeks leading up to the end of the strike, the ultimate length was difficult to determine. Recognizing this early, the WGA suggested that television writers with financial struggles apply to the Entertainment Community Fund, which received generous donations in May from many prominent figures in the industry in support of the strike. Qualifications for the fund include that a person does not have the ability to afford paying their bills for the next two months. In addition, they must have worked in the entertainment industry for a minimum number of years as well as been paid a minimum amount for a certain number of years.
Although the WGA and the AMPTP acknowledge the progress made at this point, they have not officially decided on an agreement yet. Eligible writers can cast their votes on the issue between Oct. 2 and Oct. 9 of this year. The end of the Writers’ Strike has not indicated an end to the overlapping Actor Strike that began on July 14, 2023.
