Storytellers stand up

COMMENTARY BY EMILIA KOHNSTAMM, STAFF WRITER

AS OF SEPT. 24, the Writer’s Guild of America strike has ended, securing many rights for the union’s dedicated storytellers. The strike was initiated and organized by the WGA, which NBC explains represents over 11,500 writers. The impact of this strike, coupled with that of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, has weighed on everyone from film fanatics to everyday television watchers.

According to Forbes, writers and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed to agree on a new contract by May 1, propelling workers to strike. On May 2, the work stoppage began and the writers joined the long line of workforce battling for guarantees and pay increases.

As specified by NPR, the goal of the strike was to reach an agreement under which writers would gain certain securities, including protection from AI, which threatens to replace the role of human employees. The writers were also vying for higher residual payments for work done on streaming platforms.

“Writers are integral to the creation of media,” freshman Sol Ramirez said. “Yet they don’t get all the credit they deserve.”

The Hollywood Reporter explains that in the industry, producers and studio executives aim to lessen costs and increase profit, often leaving writers stuck under the monstrous thumb of wage deflation and surprise show cancellations. Producers are critical to the creation of media, but it is important to recognize that writers warrant respect.

“At the end of the day, any painting you see, any book you read, any movie you watch, all started with the idea of a story that was written down,” film teacher Gabriel Rodriguez said. “You can’t have anything without writers.”

On July 14, after an unsuccessful deal between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP, actors from Adam Sandler to Aubrey Plaza joined hands with WGA members at picket lines, in a symbol of solidarity, diving into a strike themselves and halting all production. This was unprecedented and ignited a cultural and economic shift.

By Aug. 9, WGA had reached 100 days of strike. It took until late September for the WGA and studios to reach a sufficient agreement.

Strikes are proving to be part of a larger movement for fair wages and working conditions. They are inspiring, especially as struggling workers see substantial wins and influential outcomes arise. This year, there have already been 312 strikes involving around 453,000 workers according to CNBC. From pandemic-accelerated frustrations to the impact of automation and tech in the workplace, many workers are rightfully fed up and struggling to support themselves and their families.

Despite the favorable conclusion of the WGA strike, striking is an undeniably unpredictable and fluctuating process. In the case of the SAG-AFTRA strike, in spite of earlier productive conversations, they have recently reached a bump in the road, and talks between AMPTP and the union have ceased, according to Forbes. Determined and steadfast, the union continues to fight for an advantageous agreement.

Striking is risky. The status of the SAGAFTRA strike demonstrates that, during negotiations, progress can backtrack at the snap of a finger. There is no guarantee that the staff on strikes’ needs will be met or that they will be able to survive without steady income. However, the resolution reached by the WGA and studios serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration for workers everywhere, proving that a solution can emerge.