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WGA Members Approve Strike, Potentially Delaying Future Films and TV Shows

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Writers Guild members load picket signs into vans inside the parking garage at the Writer's Guild A
Writers Guild members load picket signs into vans inside the parking garage at the Writer's Guild Association office building in Los Angeles Sunday, Nov. 4, 2007. The Writers Guild and Producers are negotiating in a secret location to work out an 11th hour deal. But, it seems a strike is eminent. (Photo by Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Nearly 15 years after a Writers Guild of America strike slowed Hollywood to a crawl, the odds for a potential work stoppage has increased substantially. Monday, an overwhelming 97.85-percent of WGA voters chose to authorize a strike should one be necessary in the coming weeks. The guilds—WGA West and WGA East—are currently in negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) regarding a new agreement about compensation and a host of issues due to the popularity of streaming.

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Polls for the strike authorization opened on April 11th with eligible guild members able to vote through noon Pacific time on Monday. According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, 79-percent of eligible WGA members partook in the vote.

Will a writers strike happen now?

Just because the members of the guilds voted to authorize a strike, it doesn’t mean a work stoppage will actually take place. Instead, the vote simply gives union leaders and negotiators a bargaining chip in ongoing negotiations. The AMPTP, which represents Disney, Netflix, and Amazon amongst others opposite the WGA, released a statement shortly before the poll results were revealed, claiming the guild had always planned to authorize a strike.

“A strike authorization vote has always been part of the WGA’s plan, announced before the parties even exchanged proposals. Its inevitable ratification should come as no surprise to anyone,” the group’s statement reads.

What are the new WGA contract disputes over?

Given the skyrocketing popularity of shows and films on streaming, the WGA is hoping to increase royalty and residual payments from those shows placed on streaming platforms to an amount resembling that of network television. Other points include general compensation, with the writers guild looking for higher wages all-around, and regulating the size of writer’s rooms in an attempt to help keep more writers employed.

As it stands now, both sides have until the guild’s contract expires on May 1st to come to a new agreement otherwise the likelihood of a strike is likely.

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