The Writers Guild of America Strike grew to 11,500 members fighting against the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) and accomplished a motion from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for support for the WGA.
Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Kathryn Barger said, “The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unequivocally stands in solidarity with the WGA and believes their negotiation positions to be reasonable and necessary.” Contract negotiations have been paused between the WGA and AMPTP. Over the weekend, the Directors Guild of America and the studios have reached labor agreement that is not entirely certain.
The Board of Supervisors states that the business model changed and has led the entertainment industry to use streaming services. This led to shorter assignments and writers being underpaid and overworked. According to the motion, the studios collected $30 billion in annual profits between 2017 and 2021. If the producers do not treat the writers fairly, these profits will not be sustainable.
For Los Angeles County to have a viable entertainment industry, writers need to be invested in long-term careers, which has been the standard for decades. Historically, writing in the entertainment industry has had consistent work, good pay, and workable environments for writers to create.
The five board members approved and signed the motion and sent it to producers to push for the AMPTP and the WGA to negotiate again. The AMPTP and the SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) are sent to have a meeting on Wednesday. If the contract is unsuccessful, the union approves a strike authorization vote.
The AMPTP released a statement stating, “We are approaching these negotiations with the goal of achieving a new agreement that is beneficial to SAG-AFTRA members and the industry overall.”
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