Friday, 19 May 2023

The Writers’ Strike Continues to Heat up This Week: Some Takeaways

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) Strike continues to grow, now getting support as more unions and cities join the fight.

In Chicago this week, electricians' and laborers' union members stood alongside local WGA members outside NBC Tower.

According to a post today, Lilly Wachowski, one of the Matrix creators, showed solidarity, picketing the Cinespace Studios in Chicago's West Side and helping halt production on The Chi, a Showtime series. 

Chicago Joins the Fight

Like Los Angeles and New York City, Chicago is a city of writers, with around 100 WGA members currently living there. 

Studios' inability to address writers' financial needs (in light of living-cost hikes) pushes them into different regions. Chicago is just one of many cities where WGA members are escaping.

It is part of a growing nationwide effort to support TV and film writers, now three weeks into their union action. The strike stems from union writers demanding better pay from streaming sites and assurances against the looming threat AI presents to screenwriting.

The WGA is already counting on solidarity with The International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 399, whose leader Linday Dougherty assured the press that no union members would cross picket lines during the action. 

This Strike Is Different From 2007/2008

There is a different feel from the writers' strike of 2007-2008; this time, the Internet is making the action go viral. More and more groups are assembling, bringing more disruption.

The Writers Guild of America West's (WGAW) Committee of Black Writers also stepped up this week in Hollywood. Black writers joined the picket lines, spreading joy and vitality to the proceedings, dancing the afternoon away with picket signs held high. 

Celebrities Make a Stand

Furthermore, Seth McFarland has stopped working on Family Guy and American Dad until the WGA writers get better treatment and the strike ends. This gesture comes after shows such as Stranger Things and Saturday Night Live also experienced union turbulence. 

Chris Pine also showed love this week in Los Angeles, bringing fresh empanadas to the picket line and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Wonderwoman director Patty Jenkins to support the cause.  

Pine joins the dozens of other SAG-AFTRA actors standing up for the writers. Other actors who stood with picketers include Bob Odenkirk, Mandy Patinkin, and Drew Barrymore, who announced her withdrawal from the 2023 MTV Movie and TV Awards.

Even Californian geek-rockers Weezer showed up outside the Paramount Studios lot and treated the picketing writers to an impromptu acoustic gig. 

Twitter Backs WGA

The Internet is ablaze with observers who had plenty to say. 

There was much appreciation for the “Em-Pine-adas.”

Other contributors online are just happy to see union action. Screenwriters have the same human rights as anybody else in an industrialized nation.

Other online commenters just prefer a rallying war cry.

How Long Will the Strike Last?

It remains to be seen how long this standoff will continue, but the growing number of non-writing participants shows no sign of slowing down. Now that Hollywood talent is coming to the fore, the future is looking encouraging for the WGA union members. 

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks. 



source https://wealthofgeeks.com/wga-strike-takeaways/
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