Bronwen K. Bradshaw

Features Writer

On Sept. 27, 2023, writers and film production companies came together to ratify a new three-year contract, ending the 148-day Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike. The labor union, representing over 11,000 screenwriters, organized their second-longest labor stoppage, lasting nearly five months. Writers described a lack of appropriate measures in the film and television industry to secure writers’ jobs with more protections during the rise of streaming services and artificial intelligence. The different financial agreements for streaming media left many writers with lower incomes that didn’t reflect the success of their work. 

The first shows to go off the air when the strike officially began in May 2023 were talk shows, including The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and many others. Film and television productions also came to a halt, leaving many to be pushed back to later next year. According to The New York Times, the new WGA contract was almost unanimous, with 99% of members voting for ratification. Many writers have returned to work after negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers to agree on new policies.

Late Night host Seth Meyers commented on his first show after the strike: “I am so happy. I am so happy to be back in a room with all my writers.” 

Meyers, Colbert, Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and John Oliver created the podcast Strike Force Five while waiting for the strike to end and their shows to resume. Their podcast supported the strike, with many hosts financially supporting their writers from their own pockets. 

The writers returned to work when the WGA voted to ratify the contract. However, actors still await negotiations after their union, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), began its strike in July 2023. Actors have similar concerns over streaming and AI technology, and many extras and minor roles in films and television series have offered actors fewer hours and lower pay. 

According to The New York Times, many actors, directors, and production workers have started jobs elsewhere while the SAG-AFTRA strike continues. The stereotype of aspiring actors working as servers rings true, as many have applied to work in numerous food industry positions. Actors have commented that server jobs have enabled them to get through their financial burdens while the strike continues. 

The New York Times interviewed actress Francesca Xuereb, who plays a recurring character on HBO’s The Sex Lives of College Girls. Xuereb mentioned that after the strike began, she returned to work as a server for Akasha restaurant in Culver City, California. Many writers have come to the aid of actors in their pursuit of better pay and working conditions. Negotiations stopped on Oct. 11, but SAG-AFTRA expects to resume today, Oct. 24. However, it may be months after any agreement before productions resume, leaving many of those in the media industry on the job search in the meantime.