Writers Strike One Year Later: WGA Leadership Reflects On Strength Of Contract, But Members Still Struggle
deadline.comWhen the clock struck midnight one year ago today, the Writers Guild of America officially ended its historic 148-day strike against the major Hollywood studios.
It was just a few days shy of the guild’s longest strike ever, and as a result, the WGA managed to secure just about everything members had picketed in the hot, summer sun for in its current contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
But, while many writers hoped that the new year would bring relief after more than five months without work, the reality has been much less promising.
While last year was certainly a win for the WGA, the union has also had to contend with the fact that many of its members are still unable to find a writing job. “I always go back to, ‘What did the companies offer on May 1, and where did writers end up 148 days later?’ What they got was undeniable because of the struggle and the fight that they were willing to undertake,” WGA West Executive Director, and the guild’s Chief Negotiator, Ellen Stutzman told Deadline, while also acknowledging “the reality of how tough a year it has been for writers who haven’t gotten to work and who haven’t gotten to personally realize the gains that they fought for.” Ongoing, industry wide cost-cutting measures, which began well before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA went on strike, were only exacerbated by the months-long work stoppages.
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