IT’S ALMOST CONTRACT TIME — WILL MOTION PICTURE AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY AVOID STRIKES?

The WGA (Writers Guild of America) contract expires May 1. Both the Directors and Screen Actors agreements expire June 30. Are strikes looming? The industry is extremely concerned that the answer may be “Yes”. Networks and streaming channels are stocking up with productions to carry them through any strike. The big concern is that if any one of the unions call for a strike the other unions will walk out in support. The last time WGA struck was in 2007 and it lasted 100 days. Lindsay Dougherty, Head of Hollywood’s Teamsters Local 399 – and the top movie Teamster in the country – is urging members to save up in case of a strike by WGA, DGA and SAG-AFTRA. All three unions are focused on addressing residual formulas that they say provide too little compensation when shows appear on streaming platforms. Which organization goes to the bargaining table first will have a big impact on the others. If history is any judge, who goes first could foreshadow whether there will be a strike – or more than one strike – this year. In current times DGA went first but they have issued a statement that will not be the case in 2023. “Studios are not yet prepared to address our issues” DGA leaders said in January that their upcoming contract negotiations with the Aliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers “promises to be an extremely challenging negotiating environment – one of the most difficult and complex we have faced in many years.” “Though each guild has its own unique needs … issues such as annual pay raises and residual rates tend to be set by the first one at the bargaining table and generally are passed along to the next two guilds when it’s their turn, as the companies are loath to give much better terms to one guild over the others.” (Deadline, Feb 3,2023)

For excellent backgrounds on the issues see:

 “Bracing for a Possible Writers' Strike” (Variety)  https://tinyurl.com/3ktckkku ;and

“Hollywood is again bracing for a writers’ strike.  Here’s what’s different.” (L.A. Times) https://tinyurl.com/8f4954ku  makes the point that much more is at stake this year, as studios prepare to launch new direct-to-consumer services.