Writers Guild OKs Possible Strike In Near-Unanimous Vote

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Members of the Writers Guild of America on Monday gave nearly unanimous approval of a possible strike against major studios.

Some 11,000 film and TV writers cast ballots over the last few days; 97.85 percent voted in favor of the strike authorization, the WGA said in a Tweet. The affirmative vote allows union brass to call a strike if ongoing contract negotiations between writers and major studios remains at an impasse.

"Writers are ready for a deal from the studios that allows writers to share in the success of the content they create and build a stable life," the union wrote on Twitter.

A strike is not inevitable — Monday's vote gives the WGA a leg up at the bargaining table in negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the major studios.

Those talks, for re-upping a multi-year contract that expires May 1, began less than a month ago.

The union is demanding increases in minimum pay for writers, residual streaming pay, and contributions to health and pension plans.

The studio group issued a statement before the results of the vote were made public Monday, calling the affirmative results "inevitable."

The AMPTP said its goal is to achieve a "fair and reasonable" agreement, adding that a deal “is only possible if the Guild is committed to turning its focus to serious bargaining by engaging in full discussions of the issues with the Companies and searching for reasonable compromises," the Hollywood Reporter reported.

A recent report published by the WGA showed the median weekly pay for writer-producers fell 23 percent over the last decade, when adjusted for inflation. Unions representing production workers have said the economics of streaming, such as the fact that series have fewer episodes, have led to decreases in pay, even as production budgets and studio profits have increased.

Strike authorization votes are a common tactic in contract negotiations.

Two years ago, one of Hollywood's largest unions, IATSE, voted to authorize a strike amid tough contract negotiations with the AMPTP. But that came only after talks had gone on for months. After the vote, the sides quickly ironed out their differences and came to an agreement.

That vote, which was approved by 98 percent of voting members, was a dramatic showing of the frustration Hollywood workers feel about wealth inequality in the entertainment industry, feelings that were amplified during the pandemic.

The WGA has shown in the past that it's very willing to pull the trigger on a strike: Its 2007-08 work stoppage lasted over three months, shutting down production and impacting the Los Angeles economy.

Various estimates from different organizations estimated that the 100- day strike cost the local economy between $2 billion and $3 billion.

City News Service contributed to this report.