#WGA Contract 2023

[bkenber]

The Scene at the SAG/AFTRA and WGA Picket Line Outside of Netflix

After joining the union members of SAG/AFTRA and WGA, still on strike for a fair contract from producers, in front of Paramount Studios, I joined them again outside of Netflix, Sunset Bronson Studios and KTLA Channel 5 studios on July 27, 2023. It was a scorcher of a day as the temperature got up to ninety degrees, but the union members remained determined to march on, and the strike captains did…

[yournewfriendshouse]

for real, the fact that people are still dying or getting permanently injured on film sets fairly regularly despite all the cgi bullshit they’re pulling is insane. the fact that they aren’t using cgi to make film sets safer and making for better working conditions for all staff (but instead they’re doing it to exploit even more workers) really sucks.

there is so much unnecessarily cruel bullshit that goes on on film sets, and it has to stop

many film directors are so busy stroking their own dick about what makes a ‘good movie’ that they set up their sets like torture chambers and it’s appalling

yes actors should strike. even the rich ones

Actors and Animators should go on strike next tbh. Especially cgi animators. Put the fear back into Hollywood

[thefirsthogokage]

The. Deal. Is. So. Good.

Couldn't get the link to the side-by-side of the WGA offer, the AMPTP counter offer from May, and the final deal, because it's a document to download and too many pictures to take for this post that probably wouldn't be legible, but it's in this tweet (click the link below the tweet to go to said tweet):

Don't forget,the fight isn't over for SAG-AFTRA and next year, contracts are up again for IATSE, including The Animation Guild.

If you're a fan of movies, tv, and animation, keep helping the guilds fight the good fight!

Also, please support the other unions that are out their now fighting their own fights including Amazon workers, Local 11 in LA, and Flight Attendants!

And of course, big thanks to strike hero Drew Carey for paying for probably THOUSANDS of meals for striking writers in LA these past five months.

Congratulations WGA and Pre-WGA for your amazing wins with this contract!

[zwoelffarben]

Edit: A writer's strike has not started. The Guild's membership has just authorized one in the cause that Guild reps and studio executives cannot come to an agreement on the contract.

Don't pull out the spirit holloween banners yet, is all I'm saying.

Edit 2, circa May 1, 2023: The studios have refused to negociate with the writers' guild in good faith, leaving the guild no choice but to strike.

A WGA STRIKE HAS BEGUN.

[emeryleewho]

I keep seeing posts talking about the WGA/Sag-Aftra strike, which yes, good, but in all this "support writers" sentiment I'm seeing no one talk about book writers, which I think is something people should know more about right now.

We are at an all-time high for book bans, namely targeting queer & PoC-authored books. This means that a lot of schools and libraries are no longer stocking diverse YA books, and if you're not in publishing, you may not realize this but school & libraries are by far one of the biggest markets for diverse YA books.

This means that in 2023, YA book sales are down. This is also in part because Barnes & Noble (the largest physical book retailer in the U.S.) is no longer really stocking YA hardcovers. This means that marginalized authors and debut authors are struggling to sell books.

But it's a LOT worse than that. In the past couple of years, marginalized authors are *really* struggling to get new book deals. Most books are acquired by a publisher about 2 years before they release to the public, so this isn't all that noticeable yet, but a LOT of marginalized authors I've spoken to (myself included) have been unable to sell a new YA book since 2020. So while I had a book out last year, even if I sell one right now, you won't see it until 2025-2026. That's three to four years without a new release or the income I get from publishing those books.

On top of that, Big 5 publishers have started closing imprints (namely their diverse imprints) and have started telling their marginalized YA authors to just go. I've had multiple authors tell me their publisher basically said, "eh, we don't care to put in the work for you anymore. You can just go somewhere else". Of the authors who *are* getting offered new contracts, we're being offered pay far below the cost of living and we're being handed contracts that split our payments 4 or 5 ways and require we sign over our work to be used to train AI so they can replace us a few years down the road.

Authors are freelancers who own our IPs, which means we can't unionize the way Hollywood writers can, and despite authors showing up in droves to support HarperCollins employees when they went on strike for fair wages, we're being hung out to dry when it comes to our own rights.

If you enjoy diverse books, especially diverse YA, please understand that many of the authors you loved over the past 3-5 years are being forced out of the industry. We're being exploited, and we have no way to defend ourselves. Our books sales are drying up thanks to anti-queer legislation, our rights are being eaten up by AI, and our publishers are degrading us while profiting of us and refusing to share those profits with us.

Within the publishing industry, we've all been watching this decline happen over the last decade, but outside of it, I know most people have no idea what's going on so please spread the word. And if you care about diverse books especially in YA, please support marginalized authors in any way you can. The industry needs to be reminded that it needs us before we're all eliminated from it.

[madseance]

Hollywood Writers Strike: Official Sources

The Writer's Guild of America has voted to strike, and I want to get out ahead of something Tumblr is bad about doing and encourage y'all to PLEASE get your information about the strike from the guild itself, not from random people on Tumblr telling you it's "actually" about this or that.

The WGA wants the public to understand why they are striking. They have plenty of info available that is written with a general audience in mind.

WGA.org is the official website of the Writer's Guild of America West.

WGAwest is on Twitter and posting extensively about the negotiations and strike. This account is linked from the WGA website.

WGA also has a Linktree (linked from their Twitter bio) with more information about the strike, including their own Twitter threads about various strike issues, as well as articles in the media.

WGA Contract 2023 is a website full of information about the strike. It is one of the first links in the Linktree above. It's a great resource if you want to get deeper into the subject. There is a FAQ.

Any third party explaining the issue for you has an opportunity to, intentionally or not, insert their own spin or agenda. Get the information from the source.

[fans4wga]

Adam Conover: So the writers strike is finally over, and I'm so happy to tell you that...

Full transcript of text on images below the cut!

And we changed not just our industry for ourselves, but for every writer who comes after us. And I am…so proud of us. 

Thank you to every writer who made this victory happen, and thank you, thank you, to every fellow worker who stood with us. 

We are gonna stand with you as well because what this proves is that when workers stand together, we win. 

And now…LET’S GET BACK TO WRITING.

[video ID: Adam Conover summarizes the terms of the 2023 WGA Contract that ended a 148-day strike.

So the writers strike is finally over, and I'm so happy to tell you that...WE FUCKING WON.

These are all things that they swore to us five months ago they would never give us in a million years. But we went on strike and we hung together until they were forced to come to the table and meet our demands. 

Contract Summary

This is the contract that we just spent the last 148 days fighting for. And lemme tell you what’s in it: 

a guarantee that a minimum number of writers be hired on every show, 

comedy-variety writers like me be paid [equally on streaming and TV],

provisions that mean better pay for screenwriters, 

better pension and health for writing teams, 

script fees for staff writers for the first time, 

and protections against AI.

AI Protections

AI can’t write scripts, edit scripts, or undermine our rights and credits.

Success-Based Residuals

And we won a success-based residual! So for the first time, when more people watch a movie or TV show on streaming, the writer that created it will make more money, too.

---

And we changed not just our industry for ourselves, but for every writer who comes after us. And I am…so proud of us. 

Thank you to every writer who made this victory happen, and thank you, thank you, to every fellow worker who stood with us. 

We are gonna stand with you as well because what this proves is that when workers stand together, we win. 

And now…LET’S GET BACK TO WRITING. [/end video ID]

[reasonsforhope]

"The Writers Guild has reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to end its strike after nearly five months. The parties finalized the framework of the deal Sunday when they were able to untangle their stalemate over AI and writing room staffing levels.

“We have reached a tentative agreement on a new 2023 MBA, which is to say an agreement in principle on all deal points, subject to drafting final contract language,” the guild told members this evening in a release, which came just after sunset and the start of the Yom Kippur holiday that many had seen deadline to wrap up deal after five days of long negotiations...

Despite today’s welcome news, it still will take a few days for the strike to be officially over as the WGA West and WGA East proceed with their ratification process. During the WGA’s last strike in 2007-08, a tentative agreement was reached on the 96th day and it wasn’t over until the 100th...

All attention will now turn to ratifying the WGA deal and getting SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP back to the bargaining table to work out a deal to end the actors’ strike, which has now been going on for 70 days.

Details of the WGA’s tentative agreement haven’t been released yet but will be revealed by the guild in advance of the membership ratification votes. Pay raises and streaming residuals have been key issues for the guild, along with AI and writers room staffing levels."

-via Deadline, September 24, 2023

[thaumatologist]

working timeline of (us) hot labor summer wins

May 1, 2023: rail companies grant paid sick leave after public and political pressure

May 2, 2023: wga east and west go on strike

May 25, 2023: delta flight attendants begin holding rallies calling for flight attendant union (delta being the only major american airline without one)

June 15, 2023: three labor unions (iam, ibt, and afa-cwa) rally at delta stakeholder meeting in an effort to stop delta union-busting

June 24, 2023: teamsters amazon goes on strike at DAX8 in palmdale, ca

July 13, 2023: sag-aftra goes on strike

July 20, 2023: iatse threatens strike on broadway, and pressure lands them contract wins

August 22, 2023: threat of ups teamsters strike enough to land massive gains in new contract (even for part time employees)

August 25, 2023: nlrb passes down a ruling requiring any company that participates in union-busting to immediately recognize and bargain with the union

September 13, 2023: marvel vfx workers unanimously vote to unionize with iatse

September 16, 2023 (and prior): just a whole lot in cali (fast food minimum wage raise, striking workers eligible for unemployment assistance, five paid sick days, raising healthcare workers' minimum wage to $25, and more)

September 25, 2023: wga reaches tentative deal with amptp after historic 146 day strike

September 26, 2023: uaw strike receives historic backing from sitting president joe biden

September 26, 2023: sag-aftra authorizes strike against video game makers to bring pressure to negotiating table

[durnesque-esque]

This is their plan. They want to break the writers. They want to break this industry and everyone around it for their bottom lines. They do not care about anything, but profit.

And it will not stop here, it will impact EVERY CONTRACT DOWN THE LINE FOR EVERY UNION IN THE INDUSTRY. And the impact will ripple through every industry in entertainment hubs: LA, NY, ATL, etc.

"Convinced that “giving in,” as another insider put it, to the writers will result in every contract cycle from the WGA, IATSE, the Teamsters and more ending in a strike, the AMPTP is aiming for the bottom line."

Please continue to support the Writers. If SAG-AFTRA joins in tonight, support them too.

This is not just about the entertainment industry, this is about the impact and power of workers standing together. Everyone in this country is suffering from being underpaid. Unions are our power to fight against that.

The holdouts are NOT the workers on strike, it's the Producers & Executives. It's THEIR fault this is going on. It's THEIR fault the industry has ground to a halt because they won't pay fair wages and they would rather use AI to spin endless and souless profit than pay people to do the work.

Here's the article I quoted. Here's another discussing the AI issue.

July 12, 2023 9AM PST.

SOLIDARITY FOREVER!

[chirpsythismorning]

This is everything the Stranger Things writers have posted publicly about the WGA strike:

TIMELINE

May 3rd:

Stranger Things writer Caitlin Schneiderhan tweets picture from personal Twitter account of sign from the strike that reads 'Pay us or Steve Harrington is toast'

May 6th:

Official Stranger Writers Twitter account makes post on behalf of the Duffers Brothers. They have since pinned this tweet to their profile. "Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we're excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then -- over and out. #wgastrong

Bonus:

May 12th:

Stranger Things writer Kate Trefry posts picture from personal Tumblr account of sign that reads, 'Byler won’t write itself'

As far as I know, the two writers that posted on their personal socials are the only writers from ST that even have personal accounts that are public, whereas the rest of the writers do not.

What does make me take a pause though, is that, while yes they did post these pictures from their personal accounts, which is about as official as it gets, they also cryptically did not include themselves in said pictures...

This just got me thinking about how Stranger Things is quite literally Netflix and vise versa. They are practically one in the same, where one without the other just doesn't make sense.

While this conflict of interest might run deep for many writers out there fearing to speak out against their employer, for us, the consumers, the fans, we as a collective have so much more power than we realize.

In contrast to the writers, streamers can't just fire their consumer base sometime down the line, out of spite for speaking out. Without consumers, neither Stranger Things nor Netflix would be what it is today.

We have the affordance of being able to speak up the loudest of anyone. And so why wouldn't we take advantage of that?

There are so many people out there protesting: writers, actors, others in the industry and even outside of it who are also taking a stand, many who need support so that they can continue to fight in the upcoming days, weeks, months, without being deterred by corporations that are making them feel greedy for demanding a contract that at most, asks that they be paid fairly.

And so I want to encourage anyone that is reading this, but fellow fans of Stranger Things especially, who have so much power in this strike when it comes to getting Netflix's attention, to consider taking the time to do whatever you can individually + with the masses as a community in order to best support the strike.

Follow the Strike! If you're active on various social media already, please be sure to follow the official accounts advocating for the strike via Instagram (@writersguildwest/@wgaeast), via Twitter (@WGAWest/@WGAEast). Engage with posts from folks that are out there daily, many with whom you can find by following tags like #WGAStrong, #WGAStrike and #WritersStrike. Although most fans are not able to join in picketing themselves, we can at least recognize all of those out there's individual efforts and do our best to show that we're paying attention and listening!

Spread the word! Show support any way you can by sharing posts and articles about the strike, or even fun memes to inform others in a more engaging way. This is the official site for the WGA strike if you want to learn more about what’s going on before diving in! And make sure to stay up-to-date here as things continue to unfold!

Donate! The Entertainment Community Fund is endorsed by the WGA for anyone that wants to support those affected by the strike financially. And this thread on Twitter is an incredible resourse, as it provides an ‘easy, one-click, stress-free, accessible-to-all-budgets’ ways you can support folks on the front lines.

Also! Consider donating through this link for the Entertainment Community Fund, where the money donated still goes directly to that fund, this is just an organizing page for Stranger Things fans specifically! By allowing fans to see how much of an impact we make as a collective, in real time, this could encourage even more ST fans to want to contribute. In a best case scenario, if this GoFundMe were to reach impressive proportions of donations from fans, that could lead to news outlets reporting on it, which could allow an opportunity for even more eyes on the strike, while also even more importantly being able to provide financial support to those that need it.

Trend! On social media, use #StrangerFansforWGA to trend or even just to reach other fans also looking to come together to support the strike!

While I know this post probably wont reach anywhere outside of Tumblr, I want to make a point to encourage those of you that are on other platforms to inform fans in those spaces about the strike and what they can do to help!

We might not all agree on everything, but I think we can agree on at least one thing... @Netflix & all major streamers and networks out there, who are still refusing to make a fair deal: PAY YOUR WRITERS!

In the mean time, if you're interested in working on different ideas for initiates we can carry out as a fandom, please reach out to me! I might only one person and I might not have all the answers and solutions, but I do know that with more of us working together, our odds of making an impact are much greater!

Over and out!

[bkenber]

Walking the WGA and SAG/AFTRA Picket Line at Paramount Studios

On July 20, 2023, I did something I had been meaning to do for a long time: walk the picket line alongside members of the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG/AFTRA). Both unions are in a furious labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) as streaming has forever changed the…

[wardensantoineandevka]

for the record, because I keep seeing people encouraging this on Twitter: as of May 2, 2023, 9:30pm ET, the WGA has not called for a boycott, they have not called on people to cancel their streaming subscriptions, they have not called on people to refuse to watch movies or shows, scripted or unscripted.

do not participate in or organize boycotts or mass cancellations outside of the union's direction. mass actions outside of their guidance is not helpful and does not support them. a boycott and a picket line are not the same thing. honor the picket lines and do not cross them, but there is currently no boycott.

keep an eye on the @WGAWest and @WGAEast on Twitter and the WGA Contract 2023 website for updates and announcements.

[thefirsthogokage]

Whoohoo!

[Image ID: a tweet from Animation Guild Writers (@TAGwriters) from July 19th, 2023 that reads:

Awesome news! Warner Bros. and Cartoon Network production workers have organized to join TAG! Welcome to these heroes! Let’s celebrate! #ProductionStrong @animationguild

A long with it is an animated picture with a pink IATSE shield up in the left hand corner, a yellow spring in the top right corner, and it read PRO STRONG. There are several arms of animated characters raised with a fist. Just the arms. Each one is from a recognizable character, including Jake the Dog and I believe Jonny Bravo. Other people might be able to identify the other ones.

/End ID]

TAG's contract is up in 2024. If you're showing up for the WGA strike and the SAG-AFTRA strike, please remember to show up for them too. They're a tiny guild, they'll probably be striking, and they'll need all the help they can get!

[ahaura]

Adam Conover on the 2023 WGA Contract:

The details of the new Writers Guild contract are out. We won: • Success-based residuals • Strong limitations on A.I. • Minimum writers room staffing • Guaranteed compensation and 13-week minimums for Comedy/Variety writers in streaming • Guaranteed 2-step deals for screenwriters • Guarantee that writers be kept on through production • Individual P&H contributions for writing teams • Script fees for staff writers • AND A HELL OF A LOT MORE. These are essential protections that the companies told us, to our faces, that they would NEVER give us. But because of our solidarity, because they literally cannot make a dollar without us, they bent, then broke, and gave us what we deserve. WE WON.

(via twitter)

[38sr]

I know this is gonna be a strange one, but I do have an industry question;

I've been looking for a job for the last 4 years post-grad, I've tried every bit of advice I've gotten over my 6 years in school and 4 years out. Is it too late for me?? Or more so what advice would you have at this point?? I'm starting to feel really negatively about this venture, and getting a day job has been just as difficult;;

Hello Sky! Hope it's okay to call you that. Ah post-grad job hunting.....I don't miss that period of my life at all. Before I begin, just want to preface that what I say going forward is strictly from my perspective/experience. I am not the absolute of the animation industry so if what I say doesn't align with you, you do not have to follow it haha. Alright, advice for post grad job hunting.... Well, I think I want to start off giving a bit of context for the animation landscape these past 4 years that has been rough for everyone (trust me it'll come back around to your question): 1.) COVID Pandemic

This one might be a confusing for some people because when COVID hit in 2020, the only facet of entertainment that was able to keep going was animation. If you remember, during this time streaming numbers went up because people were stuck at home, every studio was launching their own streaming platform (HBO Max, Disney+, Peacock, etc.) and celebrities were given animated shows because live-action had stopped dead in its tracks. This period allowed artists outside of California state to get hired because what's the point of capping the talent to the local area when we're already working remotely? In short, it was a boom. But an exponential boom rather than a gradual boom. You never wanna grow too fast because you'll crash out quicker (and harder) which leads us to our second factor.... 2.) Netflix's first ever round of layoffs in summer 2022, streaming actually isn't profitable?????

In short, this year is when Netflix's growth finally stopped and was the beginning of The Great Animation Contraction. Other studios who were looking to Netflix as a the new model of distributing/creating entertainment had realized Netflix wasn't invincible. As well as their business model. So naturally, they got scared and and take action (aka layoffs). I was affected by these layoffs while working at Marvel Studios and many artists got laid off at studios to save face from the mistake that was streaming (though at this point studios were still double downing on it). Also, around this time live-action was slowly restarting thanks to vaccines and social distancing protocols. So those celebrity studded animated productions dwindled down (and also they caused so much havoc for us animation workers because most of those celebrities had no animation production experience). Which now leads us to...

3.) Mergers everywhere! Yeah, uh, mergers fucking suck. People kept losing their jobs because companies kept absorbing into each other and multiplying their debts to ungodly dollars amounts! Apparently no one took a math class and understood if you multiply any number by zero you will always get a zero. These merger also caused more shows to get shelved and canned, making the job market even slimmer. And by then we get to 2023 and the....

4.) WGA, SAG and TAG Contract Negotiations By now, studios have realized that streaming is losing them money because it costs a butt load of money to not only create a streaming site, but also maintain it, update it, create new media for it, acquire established franchises for it, and maintain the current library. Streaming shows aren't being advertised like they used to on cable so shows don't last beyond one or two seasons. Worker contracts are becoming shorter and shorter (I had a co-worker who had a 3 month contract! Isn't that insane?). And what happens in the midst of this streaming meltdown?

WGA, SAG and TAG are gearing up for their contract negotiations. And as we know SAG (actors) and WGA (writers) did strike which good for them! But now there are no live-action jobs and once again, animation (TAG) is the only one running because our negotiations don't officially start until 2024. At this point, so many animated productions have been cancelled left and right for the sake of "saving money and cutting costs". And the effects were very much being felt in the animation work force. Some animation workers were starting to leave the state of California to more affordable cities, some getting day jobs as baristas, hell some leaving the industry all together. It didn't help that studios were kind of withholding production greenlights 'cause 1) they're greedy corporations 2) these strikes were putting pressure on them. And when we did enter 2024 for our contract negotiations, that contraction was at the tightest. The job market for animation had become so bone dry that you have director-level talent taking entry level jobs to stay afloat. But because of that new, emerging artists are blocked out from breaking in. Anytime a job listing would go up people would go in a frenzy and try every thing they could to get the job. That's how little shows were in production this year specifically. Of course, by now it is public that TAG has ratified the contract (meaning we will not strike). But up until then, studios were quite literally waiting with baited breath for the duration of negotiations. A ton of stuff was in development but nothing was getting a greenlight in fear of a strike. So many animation workers at this point have been laid off for at least 2 years, got priced out of LA county, or got so burned by the industry that they left for a more sustainable paycheck. At this point of the post you're probably thinking, "Why is she talking about all of this and not answering my question?"

And the reason for that is because I what to highlight you didn't miss your chance. You unfortunately graduated at a time where the circumstances were not good for breaking in for the past 4 years.

I'm not saying this to deter you from animation either. I just want to be transparent and honest about the current state of animation because it really has been bleak for the past 4 years. So it's not your fault but rather the industry was just in a seriously bad drought. Both emerging and veteran artists have been struggling to find work and when they do it didn't even last for 6 months. Hopefully, with the renewed contract studios will start greenlighting productions again so everyone isn't fighting for one job opening. But I can't tell 'cause I am not Raven Baxter haha. But what advice can I give during this tough time? Start developing your own projects. Things may be pretty dry right now but now is the time when you can create and develop your own original stuff that can be used in your portfolio. Short or long form, showing progress videos, just create. Because once you start working it's gonna be hard to find that personal project time (trust me I'm going through that right now haha). Also, you'd be surprised how just doing your own thing can garner the attention of someone who does have the power to hire you. How do you think I got to work on the shows I have in the animation industry? Almost all of my jobs happened because I was just creating my own thing and it just happened to match the sensibilities of a show produced by a Hollywood studio. And if I had any additional advice... it would probably be don't think that Hollywood is the only way you can tell your stories.

This one is more of....a recent revelation I've had after going through a pretty bad work experience but Hollywood isn't the only way you can be a storyteller. Whether it's comics, games, streaming, animation, or film....the Hollywood system isn't the end all be all. And by Hollywood system I'm referring to breaking into a big studio like Disney, Nick or something and trying to get your own movie/tv show to win an award or something. That system often works for a certain group of people and fails other groups. That's why I say develop and create your own thing because you might find something that fits your creative voice more than Disney or any other Hollywood studio. Maybe that's inconsiderate of me to say as someone who's been incredibly lucky to work in the animation industry for almost 8 years now....but I still wanna be honest that there are other avenues that isn't the Hollywood way. All in all, please don't give up or beat yourself up. The current state of animation within America was out your control and resulted in many artists struggling to find a job. You aren't too late. In fact, I would say now is your time to do your thing in preparation for when that hiring boom comes again (or you can just take another route to tell your stories). I hope that answered your question!