Hollywood is a bundle of nerves this Monday evening.
Weeks of negotiations between the Writers Guild of America West and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have failed to thus far render a new contract, putting the threat of a strike a stone's throw away from reality.
A walk-off from the 11,500-member guild would be the first major Hollywood work stoppage in 15 years and massively disrupt the entertainment industry. New episodes of late-night comedy shows would be immediately driven from the air and substituted with re-runs. And if the strike continues for a prolonged period of time, as some are expecting, scripted shows that are set to debut in the fall could also see their premiere dates pushed back.
That is, of course, if a strike takes place.
The current contract expires at 11:59pm PT and I'm told that negotiations at the Sherman Oaks bargaining table are still ongoing. It's always possible that a deal might be ironed out at the eleventh hour and a strike will be averted. It's also possible that both parties will agree to a temporary extension, buying themselves some more time to hammer out an agreement.
If neither of those possibilities occur, then a strike is likely, though a work stoppage is not cemented in stone. 98% of members voted earlier this month to authorize a strike, but that doesn't mean one will definitely occur. The vote just gave WGA leaders the ability to call for a strike after the current deal expires. All that said, the WGA has signaled that a strike will begin on Tuesday if a deal isn't struck.
A WGA representative told me that that after the clock strikes midnight, the union will first communicate with its members. Afterward, it will put out an official statement outlining what is next. Word of a strike will probably not come until the early hours of Tuesday morning.
For weeks, the WGA and AMPTP have been locked in intense negotiations. The guild has been seeking higher compensation for writers, a boost in pension and health funds, and better workplace standards.
Most notably, the guild wants to factor in the streaming economy into compensation packages for its members. Residual fees — or money paid when a film or series is rerun or aired on broadcast — has helped pad the wallets of writers for years. But those fees have decreased on a per-episode basis with the shift away from broadcast and to direct-to-consumer platforms.
Additionally, with the rise of streaming, there are often fewer episodes in a show's season than before. Shows that run on broadcast networks typically include more than 20 episodes in a season. That's not the case with shows that are ordered by for streamers, meaning less overall work for writers.
And with the disruptive artificial intelligence revolution being set into motion, the guild is also asking for studios to establish standards around the use of the technology. It wants the use of A.I. regulated, in terms of material created for the studios.
But the timing of the strike comes at a particularly difficult moment for the media industry, which has been battered by a faltering advertising sector and massive disruption that has forced a series of brutal layoffs and cutbacks.
The unprecedented array of issues at play explains why the WGA and AMPTP have struggled to reach a deal. The question is: How long into a likely strike will it take for the two sides to see eye to eye on the most pressing questions facing the industry?
Comments
Post a Comment