There are several different industries where unionized workers have facilitated better wages, work environments and workplace safety. Writers in Hollywood have stepped up to push back against major studios and their poor wages and accommodations. In light of the collaborative unionization between writers and actors, Hollywood is at a standstill, and we could not support it more.
As writers (and editors) ourselves, we feel a level of solidarity with the writers and actors who are pushing to ensure equitable pay and recognition for their work within their respective industries.
Several movies, TV shows and various other projects in the making are on an indefinite hiatus until union and studio representatives can come to fair wage deals for writers and actors alike. Almost twelve thousand Hollywood writers, all represented by the Writers Guild of America (WGA), walked out of their jobs on May 2, according to Vox. Just over two months later, on July 14, around 160,000 actors under the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) union joined the writers on strike. Many prominent actors across the country, notably Jack Black and musical theater star and writer Lin-Manuel Miranda, can be seen across social media voicing their support for their peers across the union.
Writers and actors involved in the combined unions’ efforts are fighting for fair pay and residual compensation in light of streaming services not doling out fair residual checks, which many actors live off of in between projects. To no surprise, higher-ups are taking advantage of an emerging streaming industry.
There are also several actors and writers speaking up about the unfair and sometimes non-existent healthcare options for creatives.
“For writers to qualify for health insurance, they must earn a little over $41,700 in covered union work a year, and residuals don’t count,” reported NPR. “The income requirement continues to rise, which coupled with the increasingly uncertain reliability of employment, means even experienced writers can have a hard time qualifying.”
Out-of-reach qualification requirements for health insurance leave many workers left to pay out of pocket for standard preventive or maintenance health care.
“The current strike by WGA members puts striking writers in the position of fighting for not just their own livelihoods but for the livelihoods of human beings in other creative work, in other sectors and in other places around the world,” reported Policy Magazine.
We feel the backbone of the creative industry lies in the hands of writers first and foremost. The lack of respect for creative professions along with the rising usage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) directly threatens the important creative work done by writers and others in the entertainment industry.
SAG-AFTRA is in discussion with studios regarding the use of AI technology during production. Unions and those supporting strike efforts are pushing back against the ability of studios to replicate images of actors using AI. According to Fortune, Hollywood studios believe the image of background performers can be replicated without compensation for each use.
We, as writers and reporters, feel the looming threat of AI within the reporting space as well. AI cannot replace the authenticity of human emotion both in the world of entertainment and at the core of journalistic practices: interviewing and reporting on communities, for us. A corporation, however, will likely try to replace those things as they look to cut labor costs and maximize profits through the use of AI. We hold a firm belief it is important to support and show our admiration for the members of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA, as they continue to jointly fight for equitable pay, better health insurance options for writers in the entertainment industry and protections against emerging technologies, like AI.
