‘sticking point’
The authors say it is becoming impossible to make a living, as wages have been flat or reduced following inflation, even as employers are reaping profits and raising executives’ salaries.
More writers are working at the union-mandated minimum wage than ever before.
A major source of disagreement during negotiations was the growing trend for TV shows to hire fewer writers for short periods of time than scripted series.
As talks failed on Monday, the WGA accused the studios of trying to create a “gig economy” in which writing would become a “completely independent profession”.
The AMPTP stated that the WGA demands that studios “hire a set number of writers, whether required or not, for a specified period of time” as a “primary sticking point”.
Another issue on the table is working out the formula that calculates how writers are paid for streaming shows, which often remain on platforms like Netflix after they’ve been written.
For decades, authors have been paid a “residual” from each reuse of their material, such as television reruns or DVD sales.
With streaming, writers simply get a fixed annual payment — even if their work generates smash hits like “Bridgerton” or “Stranger Things,” which are streamed by hundreds of millions of viewers around the world.
The WGA also wants to address the future impact of artificial intelligence on writing.