Writers strike now 100 days old, matching ’07-08 walkout

With no end in sight, the Writers Guild of America strike marked its 100th day Wednesday, matching the duration of the union’s last walkout in 2007-08.

There has been little to no movement toward a resolution of the walkout that began May 2, despite a glimmer of hope last week when union leaders met briefly with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers — which represents Hollywood studios — to discuss a possible resumption of contract negotiations.

That meeting, however, failed to yield any positive results. According to a message sent by the WGA negotiating team to union members after the session, the sides remain at loggerheads on several key issues — including success-based residuals for streaming content. Negotiators said the studios appear willing to increase some compensation levels and are at least “willing to talk” about the use of artificial intelligence.

The meeting ended, however, with no word of renewed labor talks or any indication that walkout will end in the near future.

There was no official comment after the meeting from the AMPTP.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement Friday afternoon urging a full resumption of contract talks so a “fair and equitable” resolution can be reached to resolve strikes that continue “to have profoundly negative impacts on our economy and many of our community members.”

“The impact has spanned every corner of Los Angeles — from the writers and actors on the picket line trying to make ends meet to keep a roof over their head and food on the table, to businesses who rely on the entertainment industry,” Bass said.

“The economic conditions of the entertainment industry are changing — and we must react and evolve to this challenge. It is critical that this gets resolved immediately so that Los Angeles gets back on track and I stand ready to personally engage with all the stakeholders in any way possible to help get this done.”

The mayor told KNX News on Wednesday that she has met with WGA officials and is “keeping in constant communication with everyone,” although she would not elaborate on those efforts, citing a desire to keep the talks confidential.

But she seemed to express some optimism, saying she thinks a resolution can be reached.

“I don’t believe it will go another hundred days. I do not,” Bass told KNX. “It really cannot go another hundred days. You think about the entertainment industry and the rippling effect in our economy. There are obviously the people that are members of the WGA, or members of SAG-AFTRA, but there are thousands of ancillary businesses that are all impacted.”

The last WGA strike, which lasted from November 2007 to February 2008, was estimated to have cost the local economy between $2 billion and $3 billion.

The impact of the current walkout is expected to be far worse, with the writers now joined by actors on the picket lines for the first double-barreled strike to hit Hollywood in 63 years. The SAG-AFTRA actors union went on strike July 14.

Last Thursday, the WGA negotiating committee sent an email to its members challenging studios to abandon an “anti-union playbook” and offer writers a fair deal. The studios shot back, calling the union rhetoric “unfortunate,” insisting its “only playbook is getting people back to work.”

In its Thursday message to union members, the WGA negotiating committee praised writers’ resolve and blasted suggestions the walkout was having limited impact on studios due to content stockpiles held by streaming services, and that a protracted strike might be “good for the companies financially” because they can “write off their losses.”

“This is calculated disinformation about the real impact of the ongoing strikes,” according to the WGA statement.

The negotiating committee warned the AMPTP not to repeat tactics of the 2007-08 writers strike, which the union contends was an effort to “spread dissent” through the media.

“We won’t prejudge what’s to come. But playbooks die hard,” according to the WGA statement. “So far, the companies have wasted months on their same failed strategy. They have attempted, time and time again, through anonymous quotes in the media, to use scare tactics, rumors and lies to weaken our resolve.”

The AMPTP issued a statement in response, saying Friday’s discussion with the WGA was to “determine whether we have a willing bargaining partner. The WGA bargaining committee’s rhetoric is unfortunate.”

“This strike has hurt thousands of people in this industry, and we take that very seriously,” according to the AMPTP. “Our only playbook is getting people back to work.”

The WGA is pushing for improvements on a variety of fronts, notably for higher residual pay for streaming programs that have larger viewership, rather than the existing model that pays a standard rate regardless of a show’s success.

The union is also calling for industry standards on the number of writers assigned to each show, increases in foreign streaming residuals and regulations preventing the use of artificial intelligence technology to write or rewrite any literary material.

The AMPTP has pushed back against some of the WGA’s demands, particularly around its calls for mandatory staffing and employment guarantees on programs. AMPTP has also pushed back against WGA demands around streaming residuals, saying the guild’s offer would increase rates by 200%.

The use of artificial intelligence has emerged as a major topic. The WGA says it wants a ban on the use of AI, and contends the AMPTP has refused to even negotiate the issue. The AMPTP said the issue raises “important creative and legal questions” and requires “a lot more discussion, which we’ve committed to doing.”