Studios Push Back on WGA’s ‘Gig Economy’ Claims, Reject TV ‘Hiring Quota’
variety.comGene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The organization that represents major Hollywood studios issued its first detailed response on Thursday to a series of issues raised by the Writers Guild of America in its three-day-old strike.
In a four-page document, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers pushed back on the guild’s claim that the studios are seeking to force writers into a “gig economy.” The AMPTP argued that writers enjoy fringe benefits and guaranteed employment terms that have “almost nothing in common” with standard gig jobs.
The AMPTP also rejected the need for a “hiring quota” for TV writers, saying it is “incompatible with the creative nature of our industry.” The guild is proposing a staffing mandate that, for most shows, would require a writers room of at least six to 12 writers. “We don’t agree with applying a one-size-fits-all solution to shows that are unique and different in their approach to creative staffing,” the AMPTP stated. “Some writers are the sole voice of a show and others work with only a small team.
The WGA’s proposals would preclude that.” The AMPTP previously indicated that the TV staff minimum is a “primary sticking point” in the talks.
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