{"id":155460,"date":"2023-04-14T17:39:10","date_gmt":"2023-04-14T17:39:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/culture.org\/?p=155460"},"modified":"2023-06-12T13:55:06","modified_gmt":"2023-06-12T13:55:06","slug":"wga-strike-vote-writers-guild-demands-better-working-conditions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/culture.org\/art-and-culture\/wga-strike-vote-writers-guild-demands-better-working-conditions\/","title":{"rendered":"WGA Strike Vote: Writers Guild Demands Better Working Conditions"},"content":{"rendered":"           <!--  <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n                jQuery(document).ready(function() {\r\n                    jQuery(\".key-accordion-item .key-menu\").on(\"click\", function() {\r\n                        if (jQuery(this).parent().hasClass(\"active\")) {\r\n                            jQuery(this).next().slideUp();\r\n                            jQuery(this).parent().removeClass(\"active\");\r\n                        } else {\r\n                            jQuery(\".key-content\").slideUp();\r\n                            jQuery(\".key-accordion-item\").removeClass(\"active\");\r\n                            jQuery(this).parent().addClass(\"active\");\r\n                            jQuery(this).next().slideDown();\r\n                        }\r\n                    });\r\n                })\r\n            <\/script> -->\r\n\r\n\r\n            <!-- start html -->\r\n\r\n            <div class=\"news-key-takeaway-wapper\">\r\n                                <span style=\"background-color:#4db2ee;\">Key Takeaways<\/span>\r\n                <ul class=\"news-key-nbox\" style=\"border-color:#4db2ee;background-color:rgba(77, 178, 238, 0.1);\">\r\n                                                        <li>The Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced a strike authorization vote as negotiations with studios (AMPTP) continue, with the current contract expiring on May 1.<\/li>\r\n                                                                    <li>The WGA's Pattern of Demands includes higher writer minimums, restoring residuals, regulating \"mini rooms,\" and addressing AI-produced material.<\/li>\r\n                                                                    <li>An anonymous WGA member stressed the importance of equal rights for content produced for streaming services and television, and advocated for pay increases proportional to the industry's growth.<\/li>\r\n                                                                    <li>The member highlighted challenges with \"mini rooms\" and declining residuals from streaming content, and emphasized the need for regulating AI software in the industry.<\/li>\r\n                                                                    <li>The WGA urges members to vote in favor of strike authorization, and plans to host member meetings to provide updates on the negotiation process.<\/li>\r\n                                                <\/ul>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n            \n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Writers Guild of America (WGA) recently announced a strike authorization vote, calling on members to decide if the guild should have the authority to call for a strike against studios (AMPTP) as negotiations continue.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The current WGA contract expires on May 1, and the possibility of a work stoppage looms. Many writers feel that taking action is necessary to address their concerns.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Key Issues Raised by WGA<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The WGA&#8217;s Pattern of Demands includes higher writers&#8217; minimums, restoring residuals, regulating &#8220;mini rooms,&#8221; and addressing AI-produced material.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An anonymous WGA member spoke with IndieWire about these crucial topics and the challenges faced by writers in the industry.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>The Last Writer&#8217;s Strike and Its Impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having been a part of the guild since 2000, the anonymous WGA member recalled the last writer&#8217;s strike in 2007 and the consequences of not standing up earlier to protect residuals for DVD sales.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The member emphasized the urgency of fighting for writers&#8217; rights in the evolving landscape of content consumption.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Equal Rights for Streaming and Television Content<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The WGA member highlighted the importance of securing equal rights and privileges for content produced for streaming services and television.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Addressing residuals in the early days of streaming is crucial, as it represents a significant opportunity for content consumption.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Preparing the Next Generation and Protecting Pay<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The anonymous member expressed the need to train future content creators and ensure that middle- and lower-level writers gain exposure to various aspects of writing and production.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They also advocated for pay increases proportional to the industry&#8217;s growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sentiment Among Writers<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The WGA member observed that the current mood among writers is similar to the urgency and unity experienced during the last strike.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many colleagues struggle to find consistent work due to new work models and shorter episodes, which can cause weekly pay to fall below WGA minimums.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>                        <!-- <div class=\"container-c\"> -->\r\n                        <!-- <div class=\"row justify-content-between\"> -->\r\n                        <!-- <div class=\"col-post-800\"> -->\r\n                        <!-- start html -->\r\n                        <div class=\"blockquote-wapper\">\r\n                            <div>\r\n                                <span class=\"text_quot\">\r\n                                    <p>The WGA member emphasized the importance of regulating AI software and ensuring that copyrighted content created by paid individuals is not fed into AI programs without compensation.<\/p>\n                                <\/span>\r\n\r\n                                <div class=\"quot_icon\">\r\n                                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-content\/themes\/culture\/icons\/i_quot.svg\" type=\"image\/svg+xml\">\r\n                                <\/div>\r\n                            <\/div>\r\n\r\n                            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"quot_tick\" src=\"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-content\/themes\/culture\/icons\/i_quot_tri.svg\" type=\"image\/svg+xml\">\r\n                        <\/div>\r\n                        <!-- end html -->\r\n                        <!-- <\/div> -->\r\n                        <!-- <\/div> -->\r\n                        <!-- <\/div> -->\r\n                                    <\/h2>\n<h2><strong>Challenges with Mini Rooms and Residuals<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The anonymous member expressed dissatisfaction with &#8220;mini rooms,&#8221; where they perform the same tasks as in a full writers&#8217; room but receive a fraction of their usual pay.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They also discussed the decline in residuals from streaming content compared to broadcast reruns.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Regulating AI Software in the Industry<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The WGA member emphasized the importance of regulating AI software and ensuring that copyrighted content created by paid individuals is not fed into AI programs without compensation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They also called for payment for material generated using copyrighted content.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Increasing Writers&#8217; Minimums<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The anonymous member hopes to see an increase in minimums, particularly for staff writers living in Los Angeles who may need a second job to make ends meet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They expressed optimism that a work stoppage could be averted if the AMPTP recognizes the unity and just cause of the writers.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Ongoing Negotiations and Future Plans<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The WGA has been negotiating with the AMPTP but claims that no significant progress has been made on key economic concerns.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They urge members to vote in favor of strike authorization to strengthen their bargaining position or to call a strike after May 1st if necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the coming days, the guild will host a series of member meetings to provide updates on the negotiation process and to explain the importance of the strike authorization vote.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":155461,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[410,3384],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-155460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-and-culture","category-film-and-tv"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155460"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=155460"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155460\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/155461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=155460"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=155460"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culture.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=155460"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}