Katana VentraIP

2023 Writers Guild of America strike

From May 2 to September 27, 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA)—representing 11,500 screenwriters[2]—went on strike over a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).[3][4] With a duration of 148 days, the strike is tied with the 1960 strike as the second longest labor stoppage that the WGA has performed, only behind the 1988 strike (153 days).[5][6] Alongside the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, which continued until November, it was part of a series of broader Hollywood labor disputes. Both strikes contributed to the biggest interruption to the American film and television industries since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The lack of ongoing film and television productions resulted in some studios having to close doors or reduce staff.[7][8][9] The strike also jeopardized long-term contracts created during the media streaming boom: big studios could terminate production deals with writers through force majeure clauses after 90 days, saving them millions of dollars.[10][11] In addition, numerous other areas within the global entertainment ecosystem were impacted by the strike action,[12] including the VFX industry[13] and prop making studios.[14] Following a tentative agreement,[15] union leadership voted to end the strike on September 27, 2023.[1] On October 9, the WGA membership officially ratified the contract with 99% of WGA members voting in favor of it. Its combined impact with the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike resulted in the loss of 45,000 jobs,[16] and "an estimated $6.5 billion" loss to the economy of Southern California.[16]

Response[edit]

Actors during the WGA strike[edit]

SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher and executive vice president Ben Whitehair picketed with the WGA in May.[91] A significant number of other actors also joined the picket lines or otherwise expressed support for the WGA strike.[92]


Drew Barrymore withdrew from hosting the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards in support of the WGA strike, and Jennifer Coolidge, Joseph Quinn, and Pedro Pascal expressed support for the strike in their pre-recorded speeches during the ceremony.[93] Seth Meyers spoke in support of the strike during the "Corrections" segment on Late Night with Seth Meyers a few days before the strike began.[94] Jeopardy! host Mayim Bialik similarly left during the show's last week of filming (for season 39), though production continued with Ken Jennings as host.[95] The strike was also discussed at the Cannes Film Festival press conferences, with Sean Penn, Ethan Hawke, Paul Dano, and Kathleen Kennedy expressing their support.[96] Snoop Dogg spoke in support of the strike during a panel at the Milken Institute and drew parallels with payout conflicts between music artists and music streaming platforms.[97] Talk show hosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver began a limited podcast called Strike Force Five to support their out-of-work staff during the strike.[98]

Elected officials[edit]

Several elected officials supported the strike and appeared on their picket lines:

2023 SAG-AFTRA strike

List of Hollywood strikes

1960 Writers Guild of America strike

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television in the United States

WGA Official Strike Website

Frank, Jason P. (May 1, 2023). . Vulture. Vox Media. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023.

"The 2023 WGA Strike for Dummies"

Media coverage from , May 23, 2023

Deadline

Media coverage from ;

The Hollywood Reporter

Media coverage from , April 24, 2023

Variety

Writers Guild of America West. (PDF). wga.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2023.

"WGA Negotiations—Status as of May 1, 2023"

McPherson, Molly (September 27, 2023). . Forbes. Retrieved September 27, 2023.

"The Writers Guild Of America's Tactical Win Over Hollywood Studios"