After months of buildup, members of the Writers Guild of America began striking Tuesday demanding better pay and protections from television and film studios.
At numerous studios around Los Angeles, New York City and elsewhere, thousands of writers walked the picket lines in support of the WGA’s efforts.
“It’s nice to see fellow members of the guild stand up for our cause,” union member Matt Oberg told KTLA. “It’s rare that we see each other come out in numbers like this, so it’s really fortifying to see us all together. I don’t know how long it’s going to take, but we feel pretty committed, and time will tell.”
At the heart of the issue is the impact streaming services have had on writers in particular.
Writers claim the birth of internet-based entertainment has reduced their percentage of the money made by the entertainment industry, especially residuals, which come after a project’s release.
Some streaming platforms, most notably HBO Max, have removed content in an effort to avoid paying residuals.
Studios have also reduced writer pay by eschewing formal writers’ rooms, which are staffed by full-time employees, for so-called mini rooms, where smaller groups of writers work for lower wages, the WGA claims.
The studios, which negotiate collectively as the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, said in a statement to KTLA that they offered “generous increases in compensation for writers as well as improvements in streaming residuals.”
The WGA disagreed, saying “the studios’ responses to our proposals have been wholly insufficient, given the existential crisis writers are facing.”
Thus far, a deal remains out of reach, leading to an immediate shutdown of late-night shows like “Saturday Night Live” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” that rely on topical news for humor.
It’s the first such shutdown since the strike of 2007-2008 which lasted 100 days.
For a full list of picket locations, visit the WGA’s website for the strike.