At midnight, on May 3, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) started a strike because writers were unable to reach a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) before their three-year contract expired.
Dissatisfied with their working conditions, compensation structure, and job security, including concerns about artificial intelligence (AI), writers have demanded several changes, primarily aimed at addressing the significant impact streaming has had on the industry’s operations, Time Magazine reported.
The AMPTP is a trade association representing more than 350 American television and film production companies in collective bargaining negotiations with entertainment industry trade unions that include, among others, SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild of America, the Writers Guild of America, West, the Writers Guild of America, East, the American Federation of Musicians, and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.
The AMPTP has been criticized for its labor practices, including its use of permanent replacements, perhaps using AI, during strikes and its opposition to unionization. The AMPTP has also been criticized for its lobbying efforts, which some critics say are designed to benefit the entertainment industry at the expense of the public.
AI can be used to generate text, but it is unlikely to replace writers anytime soon. AI can write text that is grammatically correct and factually accurate, but it cannot write text that is creative, engaging, or emotionally resonant. Writers are able to bring their own unique perspectives, experiences, and emotions to their writing, which cannot be replicated by a machine.
AI is still under development, and it is likely to improve over time. However, it is unlikely that AI will ever be able to replace human writers entirely. Writers will always be needed to create the kind of text that AI cannot.
“Here is what all writers know: the companies have broken this business. They have taken so much from the very people, the writers, who have made them wealthy. But what they cannot take from us is each other, our solidarity, our mutual commitment to save ourselves and this profession that we love,” the guild leadership told its members in a statement.
The guild is requesting a $429 million increase in pay and benefits over three years, but the studios have only offered $86 million, Deadline reported.
The current writers’ strike is the first in 15 years, with the previous strike, which began in late 2007, lasted 100 days.
The 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike was a labor conflict that affected a large number of television shows that were due to be broadcast in the U.S. during the 2007–08 television season. Negotiators for the striking writers reached a tentative agreement on Feb. 8, 2008, and the boards of both guilds unanimously approved the deal on Feb. 10, 2008. Striking writers voted on February 12, to end the strike immediately, and on February 26, the WGA announced that the contract had been ratified with more than 92 percent approval among WGA members.
If an agreement is not reached soon, the entertainment industry will suffer long-term effects from the ongoing strike. On May 1, the West Coast chapter of the WGA formed picket lines at major studios in Los Angeles, including Amazon, Disney, Netflix, and Warner Bros. They plan to host a meeting at the Shrine Auditorium on May 15. On the same day, the WGA East will hold a membership meet-up at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City. Similar to their Los Angeles counterparts, protesters on May 1 formed a picket in the afternoon at the Netflix headquarters in Manhattan.
The WGA has shared a comprehensive list of demands to bring an end to the strike. Their requests involve ensuring a certain number of staff for TV productions, providing guaranteed employment during each season, improving salaries and streaming residuals, and regulating AI. Despite some counter-offers from the AMPTP, they have not met the WGA’s needs, resulting in the continuation of the strike.
The Hollywood Reporter states that Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) on May 2, said he was “very worried” about the strike, saying, “We’re not unfamiliar with labor issues, and when called in by both sides, we’ll intervene to the extent that both sides are willing and interested in that.” He added, “It has profound consequences, direct and indirect: Every single one of us will be impacted by this.”
