Writers for TV, movies, and streaming shows have voted by a large majority to go on strike if a contract can’t be made by May 1.
The results of the vote, which were released Monday afternoon, showed that 97.9% of the union members who took part voted in favor of a possible strike.
If there is a strike, it would be the first one in the business since 2007. Many shows and movies would have to stop being made. The strike in 2007 went on for 100 days.
The union for writers, the Writers Guild of America, says that there needs to be a big change in how writers are paid because standard movies and cable and broadcast networks are giving way to streaming services.
In a video message to members at the start of voting a week ago, Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, a member of the union’s bargaining team, said, “This is not a normal negotiation cycle.” “We are fighting for writers’ economic survival and the stability of our profession.”
Eric Heisserer, another member of the negotiating team, said in the same recorded message, “So far, the companies have been unwilling to talk to us in a meaningful way.”
“We’re sad, but we’re not surprised. “The companies have never paid attention to our problems without at least the threat of a fight,” Sanchez-Witzel said. The result of the vote did not come as a surprise.
During negotiations, unions usually hold a vote on whether or not to go on strike. These votes almost always pass by huge amounts. That doesn’t mean there will be a strike since most deals are made close to or after the limit for a strike.
“A strike authorization vote has always been part of the WGA’s plan, and it was announced before the parties even exchanged proposals,” said a statement from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which is negotiating on behalf of management.
“No one should be surprised that it will be ratified in the end.” AMPTP is made up of companies like Amazon, Apple, CB, Discovery, NBC Universal, Netflix, Paramount Global, Son, and Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns CNN.
In the past few months, many of these businesses have announced big job cuts and other ways to cut costs.
One producer close to the talks said that the AMPTP and the Writers Guild met at the table to talk about a deal on Friday.
The producer said that AMPTP gave WGA new proposals in answer to some of the Guild’s contract requests. The company is waiting for feedback on those proposals and the results of the strike vote on Monday.
Even though AMPTP said it wanted to reach a deal, its statement showed that the two sides are still very far apart with only two weeks left until the deadline.
“Our goal is and has always been to come to an agreement that is fair and reasonable,” said AMPTP. “An agreement is only possible if the Guild is ready to turn its attention to serious bargaining by talking with the companies in depth about the issues and looking for fair solutions.”
The Guild wants to make sure that its members’ pay deals take into account the growth of streaming. Residual fees or the money given when a movie or TV show is shown again or on the air, have helped writers fill their pockets for years.
Read More:
- Ryan Seacrest’s Girlfriend Aubrey Paige Makes Rare Appearance on ‘Live’ for His Final Show as Co-Host!
- Taylor Swift’s “All of The Girls You Loved Before” Lyrics Seem To Be About Joe Alwyn’s Past Relationships!
But in the streaming age, which is where a lot of projects end up these days, these fees are going away. Also, since streaming has become more popular, there are often fewer shows in a season than there used to be.
Usually, a season of a show on a broadcast network has more than 20 shows. Many of the shows that Netflix and others order have 10 episodes or less per season.
With the AI revolution just getting started, the guild is also asking companies to set rules for how the technology should be used. It wants to put rules on how AI is used to make content for companies.