According to their union, Thousands of Hollywood television and movie writers will go on strike Tuesday, after talks with studios and streamers over pay and working conditions ended without a deal. the strike means late-night shows are expected to grind to a halt immediately, while television series and movies scheduled for release later this year and beyond could face major delays.
“we have not reached an agreement with the studios and streamers. We will be on strike after the contract expires at midnight,” the writers guild of America (WGA) said in an email to members, obtained by newsmen.
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Studios’ responses to its proposals had been “wholly insufficient, given the existential crisis writers are facing,” the writers’ union said.
It came after the alliance of motion picture and television producers (amptp), representing studios including disney and netflix, said negotiations had “concluded without an agreement.”
The strike could have potentially catastrophic effects on the us entertainment industry.
The last time hollywood writers laid down their pens and keyboards, in 2007, the strike lasted for 100 days, costing the los angeles entertainment economy around $2 billion.
This time, the two sides are clashing as writers demand higher pay, minimum guarantees of stable employment and a greater share of profits from the boom in streaming, while studios say they must cut costs due to economic pressures.
Writers say it is becoming impossible to earn a living, as salaries have flat lined or declined after inflation, even as employers reap profits and fatten executives’ pay checks.
More writers than ever are working at the union-mandated minimum wage, while shows hire fewer people to script ever-shorter series.
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