The Writers Guild of America strike will likely last weeks as the union plans two major rallies in Los Angeles and New York for May 15.
“There’s no telling how long the Writers Guild of America strike will last, but as it enters its second day, guild leaders expect it to still be going by May 15, when they’re planning to stage massive rallies on both coasts,” reported Deadline. “The last writers strike, in 2007-08 lasted 100 days, and the one before that, in 1988, lasted 153 days.”
The May 15 rallies will likely feature top-level talent giving rousing speeches to big crowds.
“Turnout is expected to be huge. The WGAW meeting will be held at the Shrine Auditorium, while the WGAE’s will be at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City,” noted Deadline.
On Wednesday night, the WGA West and WGA East held membership meetings in both New York and LA that were reportedly attended by leaders from other industry unions, including the DGA and IATSE.
Every. Union. Is. At. The. WGA. Meeting.
The companies are so fucked.
— Joe Russo (@joerussotweets) May 4, 2023
it was awesome to see every union at the meeting tonight – many of us are members of multiple unions! i’m WGA and IATSE and we need our unions to stand together like this forever! https://t.co/ECF8MadCJL
— olga is a WGA WRITER AND I’M ON STRIKE (@possumlives) May 4, 2023
All the representatives of the different Unions from SAG, DGA, IATSE and Teamsters are all here!!!! Let’s go! #WGAStrong https://t.co/BQ4DcaOzzH
— Caroline “WGA Captain” Renard (@carolinerenard_) May 4, 2023
As Breitbart News reported, Hollywood writers went on strike late Monday after the major studios and failed to renew a contract with the Writers Guild of America (WGA), putting a halt to late-night television and other streaming shows that have not yet entered production.
Breitbart News reported:
Among the hardest hit will be the late-night comedy shows, including those hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, who rely on teams of writers to think up their nightly monologues in which they frequently rail against conservatives and all things Trump.
The Writers Guild of America authorized the strike Monday night after negotiations with the studios and networks failed to produce an agreement. It will mark the first time Hollywood writers have walked off the job since the 2007-2008 strike, which lasted three months and brought the industry to a virtual standstill.
The writers primarily demand better compensation in terms of residuals in the midst of the streaming revolution, arguing that shorter television seasons have harmed their bottom line.
Some striking writers have further claimed that streaming services have hollowed out the work to such a degree that they now feel like Uber drivers in a gig economy rather than creatives with a career that supports them.
“The streamers don’t care about anything, they think we’re Uber drivers: ‘Come in, do your job, go home, that’s great. You’re free,’” Marjorie David, the vice president of the Writers Guild of America, West, told The Daily Beast.
“Not good. We don’t want to be free from health and pension. We don’t want to be free from paying our rent. We don’t want to be free from buying a house or sending our kids to school or anything like that,” she added.
Movie writer Ed Horowitz outright told people to show support by canceling their subscription services, fearing that the studios could outlast the strike by playing up past content.
“Cancel your subscriptions,” said Horowitz. “If people out there started canceling their subscriptions and not watching stuff that is on streamers, that would have a huge impact, if people were to do that in numbers. If enough people cancel their subscriptions—even in the short run in solidarity—that will actually make a statement.”
Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed on Tubi, Google Play, YouTube Movies, or VIMEO On Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.