Hollywood Writers Begin Strike, Late-Night Shows To Go Dark
etcanada.comTelevision and movie writers soured by Hollywood’s low pay in the streaming era went on strike for the first time in 15 years on Tuesday, meaning late-night and variety shows would be the first programs to go dark.
The labor dispute could have a cascading effect on TV and film productions depending on how long the strike lasts, and it comes as streaming services are under growing pressure from Wall Street to show profits.
The Writers Guild of America’s 11,500 unionized screenwriters prepared to picket after negotiations with studios, which began in March, failed by Monday’s deadline to yield a new contract.
All script writing is to immediately cease, the guild informed its members. The guild is seeking higher minimum pay, less thinly staffed writing rooms, shorter exclusive contracts and a reworking of residual pay — all conditions the WGA says have been diminished in the content boom driven by streaming. READ MORE: ‘Saturday Night Live’ Post-Production Editors Reportedly Plan To Strike April 1 Show If No Agreement Reached “The companies’ behaviour has created a gig economy inside a union workforce, and their immovable stance in this negotiation has betrayed a commitment to further devaluing the profession of writing,” the WGA said in a statement.
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