October 11, 2023 by Francisca Schmalz (‘24)
The Writer’s Guild of America (WGA), which represents thousands of writers for television and movies, is officially allowed to pick up their pencils as of September 27th, 2023. The strike lasted for 148 days, making it the second longest labor stoppage that the WGA organized. This strike also spearheaded the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) into their own strike.
So, what does the end of a strike entail? Well, the agreement still needs to be approved by all leaders of the Union, along with the Board of Trustees. Writers that are a part of the union were able to officially begin working again on September 27th. Since the agreement is still being reviewed, it’s being considered a tentative agreement. Voting amongst the leaders of the union and the board of trustees will begin October 2nd and continue through the 9th. According to the WGA’s Instagram, their Negotiating Committee, WGAW (WGA West) council, and WGAE (WGA East) council, everyone voted unanimously to recommend the agreement. For anyone who wants to read the agreement for themselves, it’s currently posted on their website.
With this tentative agreement reached, writers were officially allowed to go back to work. This means you will quickly see the return of late-night shows such as “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” Writers for upcoming seasons are now allowed back to continue their work, such as those writing the anticipated final season of Stranger Things and sitcoms like Abbot Elementary. However, unlike talk shows, don’t expect to get new episodes of these shows too soon. Late-night shows can return on air because they do not have actors. With the actors’ strike still going on, production for any new episodes of regular television shows and movies won’t begin.
While it’s true that the writers’ strike in Hollywood has ended, the battle battle for fair wages in Hollywood has not. The actors began their strike on July 25th and, as of now, no agreement has been made between the actors and the studios. Currently, the actors’ guild is seeking to meet with studios for bargaining starting October 2nd. SAG’s picket lines across the country are still rampant each day. So yes, the pencils are up! But don’t get too excited. The WGA has been very vocal in making sure the striking actors are the headliners of Hollywood news right now. Keep an eye on the news this coming week, for more information on the actor’s strike and their negotiations, along with the results of the WGA’s voting period.
Citations
Barnes, B. (2023, September 27). TV and movie writers to begin returning to work on Wednesday. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/26/business/hollywood-writers-return.html?searchResultPosition=3
SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) • Instagram photos and videos. Instagram. (n.d.). https://www.instagram.com/SAGAFTRA/
Sperling, N. (2023, September 28). Studios and striking actors will resume talks on Monday. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/27/business/media/sag-aftra-actors-strike-talks.html?name=styln-hollywood-writers-strike®ion=TOP_BANNER&block=storyline_menu_recirc&action=click&pgtype=Article&variant=undefined
Writers Guild of America, east (@wgaeast) – Instagram. Instagram. (n.d.). https://www.instagram.com/wgaeast/