Hollywood Strikes 2023: An Overview of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strikes
Photo Credit: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters via PBS
Since May 2023, strikes in Hollywood have halted the production of upcoming movies and TV shows. There are two main strikes occurring: the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).
The WGA began striking on May 2, and reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP) on Sept. 27. The nearly five month strike began with debates over a new contract involving pay and streaming residuals for writers, among other issues. The strike lasted 148 days, and was the longest writer’s strike since 1988.
SAG-AFTRA has been on strike since July 14, and they have yet to realize a new contract. On Oct. 2, dialogue between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP reopened, but a conclusion was not agreed upon. Dialogue came to a stop on Oct. 11 and has yet to resume.
The AMPTP announced that they suspended contract negotiations due to both sides being unwilling to compromise. “SAG-AFTRA’s current offer included what it characterised as a viewership bonus that, by itself, would cost more than $800 million per year – which would create an untenable economic burden,” the AMPTP said in a statement released Oct. 11. SAG-AFTRA responded to this on X, stating that the AMPTP used bullying tactics to misrepresent the cost, marking them up by 60 per cent.
Additionally, SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP could not agree on the matter of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) during film and television production. While SAG-AFTRA stated in a letter to actors that companies would not protect performers from being replaced by AI, the AMPTP claimed that they would offer many protections, including requiring written consent from actors. SAG-AFTRA refused to agree to these terms. Ultimately, industry CEOs walked away from the bargaining table when it was clear there would be no resolution in the near future.
Although writers have permission to continue writing as soon as the new WGA-AMPTP contract is signed, without actors, American shows have been halted at various stages of production. Without an idea of the duration of the SAG-AFTRA strikes, the production of most TV and film content coming out of the United States is on pause for the foreseeable future. According to CNBC, the end of this strike is not in sight. Viewers can expect to be waiting months longer than they anticipated for the next season of their favourite TV shows or highly-anticipated new movies.