WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd May, 2023) Thousands of Hollywood screenwriters began a strike on Tuesday after negotiations over their contracts failed, bringing the production of many television shows and movies to a halt, the Writers Guild of America said in a statement.
"Following the unanimous recommendation of the WGA Negotiating Committee, the board of Directors of the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) and the Council of the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), acting upon the authority granted to them by their memberships, have voted unanimously to call a strike, effective 12:01 AM, Tuesday, May 2," the statement said.
The guild, which represents about 11,500 writers of tv and film, had been engaged in negotiations over the past six weeks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which includes Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Discovery-Warner, NBC Universal, Paramount and Sony.
Writers are demanding higher pay and among other things compensation for the changes in the pay structure since the advent of TV streaming, which leaves writers out of lucrative syndication deals.
Writers are expected to begin picketing on Tuesday, and the production of late-night and daytime television shows is expected to halt immediately.
