Since today, May 2, thousands of American television and film writers have been on strike, their main union announced after the failure of negotiations with the main studios and platforms on the increase in wages and salaries.
The board of the powerful screenwriters union Writers Guild of America (Wga)“acting under the authority conferred by its members, voted unanimously in favor of a recourse to the strike” which will come into force today.
Film release and series at risk
According to the WGA, which represents more than 11,500 Hollywood screenwriters, depending on how long the work stoppage lasts, US viewers could miss episodes of their favorite shows in the fall. Film release schedules may also be affected. The strike could also depress the economy of Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the country, which is already struggling with slowing home sales and work stoppages at the docks.
The union says studios that produce TV shows and movies have used the shift from traditional TV viewing to streaming to cut screenwriters’ salaries. According to the union, more screenwriters are working at minimum wage and for shorter periods.
Fewer episodes, stop the “pilots”
In the heyday of network television, writers often worked on 22-episode seasons that included pilot episodes written before the series was officially picked up. In the age of streaming, seasons may consist of as few as six episodes, and programs are ordered directly without pilot episodes. With streaming services often acquiring global rights to series for multiple years, creators have fewer opportunities to earn big payouts through recurring and international sales.