For the first time in 15 years, over 11,000 Hollywood TV and movie writers have gone on strike. The strike began at midnight Pacific time after contract negotiations failed. In a statement, the Writers Guild of America said writers are facing a, quote, “existential crisis,” in part because pay and working conditions have deteriorated in recent years due to the rise of streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. The union said, quote, “The companies’ behavior has created a gig economy inside a union workforce, and their immovable stance in this negotiation has betrayed a commitment to further devaluing the profession of writing,” unquote.
We are demanding that this industry be one that can sustain a career. It’s sort of as simple as that. We have a consistently profitable business, but right now the actions of the studios are ones that seem like they only care about Wall Street. They’re chasing a rabbit they’re never going to catch, and in that pursuit, they’re running over the workers of this industry.
— source democracynow.org | May 02, 2023