Writers Go on Strike
written by 20117 Lee Na Rim
Strikes are a means of communication because they are a way for individuals or groups to express their grievances and demands to corporations, governments and organizations. In 2023, strikes were happening all around the world, with various groups participating in the hopes of making a change.
With the ever-encroaching artificial intelligence (AI), writers felt the need to secure their own rights by protesting. For that very reason, Hollywood has become the center of the 2023 writers’ strike, marking the most significant dispute in years.
The protest ended on February 12th, 2008 with the protesting writers voting to end the strike and the AMPTP striking a deal with the WGA. While the protest did not turn out to be a major success for the writers, it still set the stage for subsequent WGA protests.
In 2023, there has been a resurgence of strikes. On May 5th, the WGA announced that members would walk off the job and were ready to take it to the streets after two months of unsuccessful negotiations with the AMPTP. The protest is taking place in the U.S., primarily in the centers of the entertainment industry, Hollywood and New York City. It is slowly spreading all across the country.
But the need for new professional standards and protection, which is likely to have fueled the strike the most, is a new threat to Hollywood caused by the development of AI. Out of fear that AI could easily replace writers, the WGA requested that the AMPTP prohibit the use of AI for creative work, including a ban on AI material being trained by the WGA writers’ work. This request was also rejected by the AMPTP, and the writers are trying to overturn the AMPT’s decision.
So far, the WGA writers’ strike is an unprecedented attempt made by a well-known labor union demanding a ban on AI replacing human workers, and it seems unlikely that the WGA will retreat.
“We are going to deprive them of our labor to make sure that they get no-shows until they come to the table and actually bargain over our issues as they have refused to do thus far,” stated the American writer and the board of the WGA Adam Conver in the middle of the writers’ strike, making it clear to the world that under no circumstances would the WGA back down without a contract renewal.
With the ever-encroaching artificial intelligence (AI), writers felt the need to secure their own rights by protesting. For that very reason, Hollywood has become the center of the 2023 writers’ strike, marking the most significant dispute in years.
A Brief History of the Writers’ Strike
The history of the writers’ strike in the U.S. tracks back to the 2000s. On November 5th, 2007, the strike began when the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) rejected a new contract with the Writers Guild of America (WGA). It received immediate backlash, with the WGA deciding to pit themselves against the AMPTP for rejecting requests for better working conditions, higher pay and a recommitment to the writing profession.The protest ended on February 12th, 2008 with the protesting writers voting to end the strike and the AMPTP striking a deal with the WGA. While the protest did not turn out to be a major success for the writers, it still set the stage for subsequent WGA protests.
In 2023, there has been a resurgence of strikes. On May 5th, the WGA announced that members would walk off the job and were ready to take it to the streets after two months of unsuccessful negotiations with the AMPTP. The protest is taking place in the U.S., primarily in the centers of the entertainment industry, Hollywood and New York City. It is slowly spreading all across the country.
What Are the Writers Protesting for?
According to the WGA’s official website, the writers are in protest for: the renewal of compensation and residuals, the reform of pension plans and healthcare and especially for the need of new professional standards and protection for the employment of writers. The first two demands regarding compensation, healthcare, etc., are not new to the industry since they have constantly been an issue since the 2000s.But the need for new professional standards and protection, which is likely to have fueled the strike the most, is a new threat to Hollywood caused by the development of AI. Out of fear that AI could easily replace writers, the WGA requested that the AMPTP prohibit the use of AI for creative work, including a ban on AI material being trained by the WGA writers’ work. This request was also rejected by the AMPTP, and the writers are trying to overturn the AMPT’s decision.
So far, the WGA writers’ strike is an unprecedented attempt made by a well-known labor union demanding a ban on AI replacing human workers, and it seems unlikely that the WGA will retreat.
“We are going to deprive them of our labor to make sure that they get no-shows until they come to the table and actually bargain over our issues as they have refused to do thus far,” stated the American writer and the board of the WGA Adam Conver in the middle of the writers’ strike, making it clear to the world that under no circumstances would the WGA back down without a contract renewal.
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