The Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) , after 148 days of contemplation, discussion, and voting, has officially ended the Writer’s Strike. As a result, a new contract was created to be more inclusive to all writers.
“The writer’s strike is the writer’s union on strike asking for a [raise],” 11th grader Damien Mitchell said.
There were many reasons as to why this situation emerged, involving complications against the protection of screenwriters, their pay, and the writing process involving the scripts.
“Job security was threatened by Artificial Intelligence, and writers weren’t getting adequately compensated for their works,” Mitchell said.
This problem then led people to protest for the overall protection of writers, and fight for their rights.
“Writers got fed up, and their unions sanctioned them for a strike, “ Mitchell said. “They’ve been taken for granted and barely see a fraction of what their work makes”
This is not the first time something like this has happened. The 2023 strike can be compared to the others that were active for the same period in past years, following the length of around 150 days.
According to NBC News ,“The 148-day strike ranks among the longest strikes in guild history, matching the duration of the 1960 film strike. The TV strike that year went on for an additional week, ending after 156 days. And the 1988 film and TV strike lasted 154 days.”
Starting May 2 and ending this recent September 27 ,writers met their overall goal concluding with a vote on a new contract and then being put in place officially the 25th of September.
According to NBC News,“Through solidarity and determination, we have ratified a contract with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of our combined membership, “ WGA West President Meredith Stiehm said. “Together we were able to accomplish what many said was impossible six months ago.”
The results of this new contract ,overall, align with what the screenwriters put work and dedication to fighting for.
“The new WGA contract provides that for the first time ever, writers will get a bonus for top-performing shows on streaming platforms. Also for the first time, the contract establishes staffing minimums for writer’s rooms.” According to NBC News. “The agreement establishes a framework for the use of artificial intelligence, which will allow writers to make use of AI without undermining their credit or compensation.”
