The WGA Writer’s Strike of 2023: A Glimmer of Hope?

Posted byrobhestand1Posted inUncategorized

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, which has been ongoing for over 100 days, has seen a significant development in the past two weeks. Major Hollywood studios have presented a counterproposal to the WGA, which is currently under evaluation by the union. If accepted, this could mark the end of the strike that has significantly impacted the entertainment industry and California’s economy1.

Key Developments:

  1. Counterproposal from Hollywood Studios: The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), representing eight major studios, has offered a counterproposal to the WGA. The union has stated that it will respond to this offer within the week1.
  2. Major Sticking Points Addressed: The AMPTP’s proposal aims to address several major concerns of the WGA, including:
    • The use of artificial intelligence to replace writers.
    • The disclosure of streaming viewership data.
    • The preservation of writers’ rooms on television series1.
  3. Details of the Counterproposal: The AMPTP has made several concessions in their proposal, including:
    • Assurances that humans will not be replaced by artificial intelligence in screenplay production.
    • Agreement to share streaming viewership data, revealing the extent of viewership of various programs.
    • A more than 20% increase in residual payments for WGA members when their shows are rebroadcast on new networks1.
  4. Concerns about Writers’ Rooms: With the rise of the streaming economy, writers’ rooms have seen a reduction in size. Traditional writers’ rooms that once employed 15 to 20 writers have now been replaced by ‘mini-rooms’ with only three to five writers. The AMPTP has proposed a 5% salary increase and a minimum duration of work for writers in these ‘mini-rooms’ to address these concerns1.
  5. Impact on the Economy: The strike has had a considerable impact on California’s economy, with estimated losses amounting to $3 billion1.

Conclusion:

The counterproposal from the AMPTP brings hope for a resolution to the WGA strike. However, the final decision rests with the WGA, and the industry awaits their response. The outcome will undoubtedly shape the future of screenwriting and the entertainment industry at large.

References:

  1. CBS News Article by Megan Cerullo, “Hollywood studios offer counterproposal to screenwriters in effort to end strike”, August 15, 2023. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

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