The impact of the Writers Guild of America strike
Thousands of unionized writers are on strike. Members of the The Writers Guild of America are walking the picket lines after contract negotiations between major television and film studios ended Monday night, May1 without an agreement. The WGA says members are not paid fairly in the streaming era. It's the first walkout in more than 15 years and will impact a variety of productions.
Reporters working on stories involving the WGA strike are welcome to quote academic voices from Northwestern University who are also members of the WGA.
Professor Zayd Dohrn is the director of the MFA program in writing for the stage and screen here at Northwestern University. Dohrn is currently writing films for Netflix and FilmNation and developing a television series. Associate professor of instruction Brett Neveu also teaches screenwriting and playwriting in the department of radio/television/film and has an extensive resume writing plays and video games.
Both Dohrn and Neveu can speak as working writers based in Chicago and away from the two coasts where most members of the guild work. They can also offer comment about the negotiations, why writers are asking for a better deal, the role of AI and more.
Quote from Zayd Dohrn (zayddohrn@northwestern.edu)
“Screenwriters and TV writers are on strike for a simple reason: We want writing to be a sustainable career, now and in the uncertain future. The business of scripted film and television brings in billions of dollars a year, and drives much of the cultural conversation around the world; none of that could happen without us. Writers deserve a fair share of the profits Hollywood studios and tech companies make off the stories we tell. At the very least, they deserve a chance to earn a living, support their families, and be treated with respect. As we always have, Chicago guild members stand in solidarity with our fellow writers in New York and LA.”
Quote from Brett Neveu (brett.neveu@northwestern.edu)
“Since moving back to Chicago from LA 10 years ago, I've watched the industry take further advantage of writers as corporations and streaming companies took over scripted output. The WGA asks are in line with these changes, as television and feature writers are working with bare minimums and lack of transparency (and fair payment) around residuals, just to name a few of the issues. It's become an untenable situation, and all we're asking is commensurate payment so that writers may earn a fair and respectful wage so they can afford to do what's asked of them.”