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by Robbie Jackson
By now you have probably heard that the writers and actors of your favorite shows and movies are on strike. What you may not know is why and how it will affect you. On May 2, 2023, 11,500 screenwriters represented by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike due to an ongoing labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
Production for shows like “Abbott Elementary” or the “Blade” Marvel series set to star Mahershala Ali have all come to a halt with no start date in sight. Seems like an extreme action to some but to those paying attention, we understand that this is simply a reaction to greed and injustice. The relationship between technology and viewership has evolved but everyday actors and writers are getting paychecks from the stone ages.
Before Netflix and Hulu there was cable and dish TV offering channels that played shows at a set time. Now those channels have turned into their own separate streaming services. Not only did the way we watch shows change but the transparency of how much that show made has taken a dark turn.
Recently many celebrities have shown support and love to the movement. However, something important to note here is that this strike is not just about the celebrities that we all know and love, but also the unknown actors and writers that play pivotal roles in movies and TV shows.
“I’m very proud of SAG and I’m very proud of WGA,” says Ashley Versher, writer, director and lead actress in the film “Brief Exchanges.” “And I’m very proud to be a member of SAG because I think we are really standing up for what’s right. This is not easy and it’s extremely important. While this is happening, none of us have jobs. None of us are making money, unless you have a residual check coming in, which as we know is most likely not very much at all if it’s coming from a streaming show or film.”
So this strike is about the background actors that walk across the screen who will get paid one time for imagery that can be used whenever and wherever without their consent. It’s about the writers who also double as Uber drivers to make ends meet. This strike is about the protection of actor rights, as well as intellectual and creative property.
“Eighty-seven percent of the actors do not make over $26,000 dollars a year,” Versher states. “In addition to that fact you have to make at least 26,000 to get health insurance. It is facts like these that need to be known. None of this comes from a place of wanting to be rich. This is coming from a place of wanting groceries, gas for my car and the ability to pay my light bill or water. People don’t realize this affects more than just actors. Many of these writers and actors have children. We are full human beings with lives and families. We are asking for what we deserve to not just penny pinch but we can hopefully thrive.”
Recently in an article published by Deadline, a studio executive is quoted saying: “The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses,” accompanied by another anonymous quote calling it “a cruel but necessary evil.”
Billionaires like the CEO of Disney are boldly standing before cameras calling the strike demands unrealistic and disturbing to him. How odd is it for a billion dollar corporation to say they can’t afford to offer proper wages?
Not odd at all. It’s how they became the billion dollar monster we see today. This real life Hollywood drama is coming to a head. Writers and actors stand united in a strike for the first time since 1960. And while technology is evolving, the entertainment labor unions are halting all work until the pay and protections of their rights catch up.
“If we just look at life in and of itself, technology has changed things. We have gone from typewriters to computers to laptops. There will continue to be technological advances and with that there will continue to be changes that are an option, and with that we will continue to have this conversation. I think what we are focused on is extremely relevant to the moment but also to the future,” said Versher.
So, if together we stand and divided we fall, maybe we should all cut the TV off and step outside. There are some real changes happening in Hollywood you don’t want to miss.
Robbie Jackson is a graduate of the San Francisco Bay View’s Community Journalism Class, which is funded by the California State Library.
