Writers in Hollywood represented by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if union leadership decides to call for one, amid contract negotiations with major studios.
The strike vote was approved, with 97.85% of members voting in favor and 2.15% voting against. More than 9,200 ballots were cast in the vote, and nearly 80% of all members participated. The results surpass the union’s strike vote results in 2017, when 6,310 ballots were cast with 96.3% voting in favor.
The WGA, which represents around 11,500 film and television writers, has characterized the new union contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) as an opportunity to reverse a trend of declining compensation for writers in the entertainment industry, despite companies consistently reporting multibillion-dollar profit margins.
The current contract ends on 1 May.
In a statement on the vote results, the WGA said: “Our membership has spoken. Writers have expressed our collective strength, solidarity and the demand for meaningful change in overwhelming numbers. Armed with this undeniable demonstration of unity and resolve, we will continue to work at the negotiating table to achieve a fair contract for all writers.”
A report issued by the WGA in March noted a 16% increase in the number of writers working for minimum basic agreement pay from 2013-14 to 2021-22, which can mean writers get paid below their experience levels.
Laura Blum-Smith, the director of research and public policy at WGA West, said: “Hundreds and hundreds of seasoned writers, who would previously have been paid a premium for their years of experience and the added value they bring to a project, are now getting paid the same as new writer-producers.
“While the business has boomed, and studios have collected almost $30bn in annual profits, writer pay has gone down. The studios are profoundly undervaluing writers and threatening the sustainability of writing as a profession.”
Ahead of the strike vote results, the AMPTP dismissed the strike vote ratification as inevitable, and claimed an agreement “is only possible if the guild is committed to turning its focus to serious bargaining by engaging in full discussions of the issues with the companies and searching for reasonable compromises”.
The WGA is pushing for pay increases that account for inflation and the rising cost of living, increases to pension and healthcare contributions, and reining in the abuse of “mini-rooms” – smaller writing rooms on TV shows where writers are typically paid less.
Caroline Renard, a TV and film writer and captain of the WGA, celebrated the strike’s approval in a series of tweets after the vote, saying: “The WGA set a new record for both participation and the percentage of support in a strike authorization vote …Enough of treating us like we’re not the sole reason you get to make billions of dollars. Your move, AMPTP.”
During the vote, dozens of writers shared on social media and in videos why they were voting in favor of the strike authorization, which included testimonies of the union having to fight to win residuals owed to writers, and emphasizing the undervaluing of writers by the industry.
Writers in Hollywood have not gone on strike since November 2007. The strike lasted 100 days into 2008, resulting in numerous top TV shows shortening seasons or going on brief hiatuses. Economic losses due to the strike were estimated at around $2.1bn.