Hollywood’s WGA finally achieves a deal.
By Asher Miles, Opinion Editor
The conclusion of the five-month WGA strike serves as a poignant reminder of the significance of the art of collective bargaining and unionization.
As Tinseltown’s second-longest writers’ strike comes to a close, the big wigs in major media conglomerates have acquiesced and scurried back to the negotiating table.
The new writers’ agreement features robust restrictions on AI usage, success-based residuals, assurance of writers’ retention throughout productions and script fees for staff writers.
While corporations repeatedly belt out the same old tune about cost concerns, sluggish decision-making and the supposed risk of losing their competitive edge as reasons to steer clear of unions, let’s not forget: solidarity among workers from various sectors remains essential.
Despite the fairytale notion spun by Warner Bros. Discovery’s CEO, David Zaslav, about “A love of working” bringing back striking workers, the reality is that love doesn’t pay the bills.
“There’s a level of expectation that they have, that is just not realistic,” said the business executive with a $690 million net worth.
According to him, the worker’s expectations are just a tad too high and adding to the drama the entertainment business is already facing. Eye-roll, anyone?
More importantly, the new three-year contract achieved by the WGA will hasten the end of SAG-AFTRA’s walkout. In fact, 99 percent of WGA members voted in support of the contract, ratifying it on Monday. The terms of the agreement will be from Sept. 5, 2023 to May 1, 2026.
Nevertheless, timing holds significance now. Boo Hoo Drew is grappling to find writers for her show after she crossed the picket line 10 days too early and all three of her writers refused to return.
Workers across all sectors are taking a stand, demanding their rights through strikes. The era of corporations toying with people is officially on its way out.