The Strike is Over...

Sey
Oct 11, 2023
2 min read

The Writer’s Strike has finally concluded after months of protesting. Prior to the start of Summer, the entertainment industry saw a pause that grew rampant once The Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) went on strike. A number of protests bloomed in Hollywood and Los Angeles to advocate for better paying wages and working conditions in this new Ai climate. A deal acceptable to both parties was born in the past few weeks as a result.

The strike started back in May and lasted five months which affected some prominent shows. When the public first heard of the strike, really only those working in the industry were very anxious. However, when shows such as Abbott Elementary, Stranger Things, and The Last of Us came to a pause in production their audiences grew frantic.

Fan of Abbott Elementary concerned — Courtesy of @tyldil204

Fan of Last of Us concerned — Courtesy of @kristenmelch

Outrage at Writers not getting what they deserved — Courtesy of @GothamsFavSun

The strike came with a lot of support from actors and actresses in addition to other celebrities. It became common news that certain figures decided to step away from shooting upcoming films to show their alliance with the WGA. Another aspect of support are all those behind the scenes! The editors, costume designers, special effects (FX) people, makeup and hair artists, and more suddenly found themselves out of job with the inception of this protest.

William Stanford Davis shows his check — Courtesy of @authorrclark

One big misconception is that this disaster is completely over. Even though a contract has been made, there are some negotiations that still need to take place. Not only that, but the actors’ strike is NOT over. Actors and Actresses are a part of a completely different organization, Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), outside of the WGA. The strike for actors and actresses could continue for weeks if not months. Both strikes are a result of unhappy employees all across the board nationally.

This five month strike, was worth it for the WGA members. The WGA were able to tentatively agree to higher wages for tv streaming, script fees, and an increase in span cap. They were also granted a certain amount of guaranteed weeks employed for Pre-greenlight and Post-greenlight rooms.

Does this mean writers are getting immediately back in the room? In some cases, yes, but most people have to get readjusted. If I had to guess, I'd hypothesize we wouldn't see any new work until the new year or December. Members of SAG-AFTRA (actors and actresses) are still on strike so who's to say some of these shows can go on until that's resolved. I'd definitely find some old shows to tap into while we're waiting.

Comment some of your go to shows! Stay tuned for the next #Move.