Writer’s Strike
Riley Mastriani
Are you a fan of watching movies and TV shows? Do you spend your night watching those new releases or seasons of those particular movies and TV shows at home or in the movie theaters? Have you also noticed the lack of TV shows being continued or movies being released?
For people that don’t know, every three years Writers Guild of America, also known as WGA, meets up with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, also known as AMPTP to discuss the terms of their contract stating minimum pay, health insurance and workplace safety. Last year though, two of those requirements the WGA wanted failed to be met, which the WGA and numerous other people were not happy about. So on April 3rd, 2023, the WGA asked AMPTP for their agreements to be signed but they were denied. Due to that denial, they asked their writers to vote on authorizing a strike if they didn’t get what they wanted. Fourteen days later on April 17th, they announced that with a 97 percent vote for yes, there would be a deadline for the agreements to be signed, and if those agreements were signed, they would go on strike. Therefore on May 1, 2023 the deadline that they had created for the contract was not met, they decided to go into action. Officially starting on May 2, 2023 in many places including New York City, Los Angeles, Burbank and Culver City. According to AP News the writers strike is still going on today despite being 134 days since it had started given there has not been an agreement between WGA and AMPT.
As expected, the strike has drastically changed everything.
Many streaming services such as Amazon, Disney, Warner Bros, Netflix, Paramount and Sony are not happy with how they are being treated by AMPTP. Due to the profits decreasing for the streaming services and being less then the residual payments and licensing fees, those streaming services aren’t paid enough for all the money they spend for putting it on air and being viewed according to Fansided, which angers them. That resulted in many shows or movies that belong with those streaming services being canceled or postponed because they do not want to give into AMPTP and are not happy with what they are given.
Keeping up with the article deadline, movies and TV shows like Cleopatra, Dune Part 2, El Muerto, Bunk’d, Chicago Fire and Chicago Med, The Last of Us, Stranger Things, Abbott Elementary and so on are either being postponed or canceled. Many shows have been pushed back into mid 2023, some are even being pushed into next year. Many will not be released until the strike ends.
Granted the support of the people for producers and writers that aren’t given enough money for all the time and money they put into making the shows and movies, people are still tired of it lasting this long. They want the agreements to be met so everything can go back to normal in fear of what could happen if it doesn’t. Stephen Colbert, the host on The Late Show Monday night voices his concern about the strike: “Everybody, including myself, hope both sides reach a deal.”
Colbert says he understands where the writers are coming from, and that the writer’s demands are not unreasonable. Multiple people like Stephen Colbert have also been expressing their support towards the writers, hoping they get the outcome they want and deserve, Los Angeles Times explained.
No one knows how long it will take and when they will be able to start watching whatever they want without having to worry if there will be another season or a sequel. Until then, then just have to hold on and wait.
