Since the beginning of May, nearly 12,000 Hollywood writers have been on strike. The recent movement by television and film writers marks the first significant strike within the industry since 2007 and has the potential to backlog new content until an agreement is reached. The joint labor union that represents the writers within the industry, the Writers Guild of America (WGA), has been negotiating a new contract with prominent Hollywood executives and studios – citing just compensation and protections from the rise of artificial intelligence as their main concerns.
In solidarity with the writers, tens of thousands of actors have joined the petition against media production companies like Disney, Netflix, and Paramount Global that belong to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has called well-known actors like John Goodman, Florence Pugh, and Octavia Spencer to strike for living wages and job security. With no end in sight for the writers’ strike, the industry that has already suffered from pandemic lockdowns will see even more monetary loss by the end of the year.
As a movie buff, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike will undoubtedly affect my media consumption levels in the upcoming year. Nevertheless, I avidly support the writers and actors in their quest for fairness in the workplace because I understand the profound history of labor unions in our country and the importance of negotiation processes like collective bargaining.
Erupting from the poor labor conditions of the Industrial Revolution and the mistreatment of skilled workers, small labor unions began popping up across the country after the Civil War. The Order of the Knights of St. Crispin, which represented the shoe industry, was the largest union of the time. According to PBS, “the Order attempted to halt the rising trend for the mechanical or unskilled production line which looked set to replace master cobblers.” However, it was not until 1886 that the labor movement in America indeed took off, with the American Federation of Labor becoming the national organization to protect skilled workers.
Created by and for workers, labor unions strive to better the lives of skilled workers by negotiating better wages, safe working conditions, and other workplace protections. Workers select individuals to negotiate on their behalf with employers in a process known as collective bargaining. When contracts expire, employers and employees must renegotiate the terms within them. Seen as a formal “give and take,” employees try to exchange what they want (benefits, leave, job health) for new employer conditions.
I first experienced collective bargaining during my junior year of high school. I was given the opportunity to participate in a U.P. Labor Management Council workshop outlining the intricacies of negotiation and the importance of labor unions. Participants were divided into two teams – management and employees – and we were tasked with reading a contract, amicably arguing for changes, and ultimately reaching a compromise. As students destined to enter the workforce, we were taken aback by how challenging the process was. But after the event, we understood why unions and just negotiations are the backbone of American economic vitality.
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) perfectly summarizes the importance of labor unions and collective bargaining: “Joining together in unions not only leads to better lives for you and your co-workers, but helps build a better America, now and for future generations.”
This is why the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike is so critical. Writers, the translators of creativity in mass media, are not adequately compensated for their contributions. Actors understand that their livelihoods depend on writers’ contributions and are also worried about job security with the growing popularity of generative artificial intelligence and animation. Both writers and actors do not receive just compensation from streaming services, which profit immensely from their work.
To put the entire strike into perspective, the top ten Hollywood executives have made over $100 million in the past five years – the wealthiest being David Zaslav (Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.) at nearly $500 million. That is almost 400 times more than an average Hollywood writer. Is it not just to better compensate the creative minds that allowed Hollywood executives to make significant profits?
Interestingly, WGA’s demands are not even outlandish. The Guild is asking for a 6% rate increase for the first year of their three-year contract, followed by a 5% increase in the two remaining contract years. According to the WGA, that raise for writers “would make a difference of 2% in the bottom line that the studios currently are paying.”
So, while we may not have new high-quality films or well-produced television series for a short period, an agreement that benefits writers and actors will be well worth the wait. I want the creative minds in our country to not only be happy while working but also be paid their just-deserved. If they continue to be slighted by Hollywood executives, the quality of media in our country will tremendously suffer.
And as someone who loves film and television, I cannot tolerate poorly produced content.
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Andie Balenger is a native of Gladstone and is currently attending Northern Michigan University. Her column addresses topics from the perspective of a young adult and runs Thursdays in the Daily Press.
